


Good Love (Sequel to Chance Meeting)

by FireflySummerwynd



Series: Chance Meetings [2]
Category: Poison (US Band)
Genre: F/M, Glam Metal, Rock 'n' roll, country, hair metal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 00:07:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 40,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21738040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireflySummerwynd/pseuds/FireflySummerwynd
Relationships: Ashley Purdy/Original Female Character(s), Bobby Dall/Original Character(s)
Series: Chance Meetings [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1680529
Kudos: 1





	1. One

_Nashville, Tennessee_

_December, 2021_

A month after the surprise proposal of her boyfriend–two after his sudden major surgery for something that very well coulda killed him–Aerin Crosswhite couldn’t have been happier. It’d been two long Years since she’d run away from everything she’d ever known, loved, and had a problem with in her home State of North Carolina–two long Years since she’d last seen or heard from her mother.

That was exactly what she’d wanted at the Time she’d left, though, never once expecting to meet not one, but two of her idols. What was even more unexpected, but certainly not cause for complaint, was one of those idols becoming the aforementioned boyfriend–and subsequent _fiancé_. If she hadn’t run away and made a benign stop near Nashville for a nap and some coffee, she wouldn’t have wound up stumbling across some of the best things that’d ever happened to her. The Universe sure had a funny way of doing things, but then again, everything was truly give-and-take, now wasn’t it?

Such a give-and-take manner of doing things was exactly why she and _fiancé_ Bobby Dall were planning more than just a wedding–or rather, handfasting. At the moment, he currently lived down in Miami, Florida with his grown kids–Zach and Zoe–which meant a lotta money spent to fly up to the Capital of country Music. If he didn’t fly up North, that still meant a lotta money spent for the young woman to fly South to visit him and said kids instead.

During the Time he’d essentially been trapped in Tennessee last month, the bassist’d actually grown to like the area a lot more than he’d thought he would. Sure, it was a lot colder than he was used to and there wasn’t a Beach around for hours, but there was something about it that he couldn’t put his finger on. Then again, he supposed his home was now and forever where his beautiful _fiancé_ was–and she refused to move down to Miami. All she could really take were short trips down there, ’cuz the heat and humidity were too much for her–they’d make her sick as a Dog like she’d been for the last week, if she was exposed for too long.

“Oh, Goddess,” Aerin whimpered, bolting upright as her mutinous stomach started up again. She was glad she hadn’t pulled her covers over herself, despite being cold, as she jumped up and scrambled into her bathroom.

“Hey, Aerin.” Her friend and roommate knocked on her bedroom door just a few seconds too late.

Unable to hear him from her bathroom, the young woman didn’t respond–not that she coulda as she dry-heaved once again.

“Aerin, can I come in?” Ash called, not realizing she still couldn’t hear him. Frustrated and worried after a few more seconds with no response, he took out the key and unlocked her door.

“Does she ever do this?” The question was posed by none other than the young woman’s _fiancé,_ who’d just arrived with good news.

“Not unless she really wantsta be alone, but she doesn’t tend to get like that as often as she used to,” he answered, shaking his head as he opened her bedroom door.

Bobby’s eyes widened as they instantly heard a muffled version of her gagging and heaving, his heart rate spiking as he took off for the bathroom. He paid no attention to the younger bassist following close behind him, his heart breaking at the sight he was met with no doubt as much as hers had when she’d found him the Morn after her birthday.

Pale and clammy, she sat in the floor in front of her toilet, apparently too sick to care that it was gross to have her had laying on the seat. One look at her told him that her entire torso was shaking like a leaf, not just her hands where they weakly gripped the bowl. He’d no doubt that even her legs–especially her knees–would be shaking just as bad, were she capable of getting up. As it stood, Aerin didn’t look like she coulda gotten up of her own accord, no matter how hard she tried, and seeing her in this condition worried him to no End.

“Oh, sweetheart,” the older bassist murmured, kneeling down next to her.

All she could do was whimper pitifully as he sat her up and pulled her against his chest.

“That’s it, Aerin,” Ash spoke up from the bathroom doorway. “Where’s your wallet? You’re going to the doctor now, like it or not.”

“Whaddaya mean, Ash?” He looked up from where he cradled his girlfriend’s limp form.

“She’s been sick like this for a week,” the younger bassist answered. “We weren’t sure if it was food poisoning or not, so I made her a deal. If she was still as bad as she was at the Beginning of the week or worse, she was going to the doctor–even if I’d to drag her, kicking and screaming.”

“I don’t think she’ll be able to fight either one of us,” Bobby told him. “She’s shaking so hard, I’d swear she’d stayed outside in the cold for too long.”

“Yeah, she’s definitely going,” he reiterated. “Last Time she got to retching that hard a couple Days ago, she ’bout gave me a heart attack when she blacked out mid-retch.”

The older bassist winced sympathetically as Ash headed back into her bedroom to collect her esse-tials for her. Aerin didn’t even try to fight him as he got her on her feet and flushed the toilet, which spoke volumes to him on its own. His _fiancé_ was too Blessed stubborn and Independent for her own good more often than she wasn’t, so for her to not fight someone else asserting their Will and Dominance meant she really had to feel like shit.

Once he’d gotten her cleaned up a bit, Bobby hefted the young woman up bridal-style to carry her outta the bathroom. He technically wasn’t supposed to pick up more than twenty pounds yet, even two months after having his rectum stitched back into its proper place, but he didn’t care. Right now, he was more concerned about his _fiancé_ and her Health than his own, ’cuz as much as it’d suck, he’d go back under the knife to have it repaired again. That couldn’t be done for the young woman, if she ultimately died of malnutrition ’cuz she couldn’t keep anything down for too long a Time period, and he was sure they all knew it.

“Good Morn,” the charge nurse at Saint Thomas West’s ER said as she heard someone come through the automated doors. “Gimme just a sec, and I’ll be right with ya.”

“We ain’t got _just a sec,_ unless ya want a mess to clean up,” Ash told her, his hand clamped over his friend’s mouth.

Seconds later, his attempt at keeping her from hurling all over the floor was an epic failure, making the charge nurse look up as the sudden retching startled her.

“Good grief,” she breathed, then looked at the pair of men in surprise. “Wait a minute–I remember the gray-haired one.”

Bobby didn’t even pay the woman any attention as he knelt beside his _fiancé_ again, even more worried as he pulled her hair back and held it outta the way.

“Let’s get her on to the back,” the charge nurse said. “She looks like she needs it.”

“She’s been sick for a week,” the younger bassist started as he helped get her to her feet again. “I told her she’d a week for whatever it is to clear up, then I was making her see a doctor.”

“I thought she was with this other gentleman, though?” She gestured between the two of them, a confused look on her face.

“She’s definitely my _fiancé,”_ the older bassist said. “But if it weren’t for meeting Ash and becoming his roommate a couple Years ago, we wouldn’t have met.”

 _“Ahhhh,_ I gotcha.” Nodding, the nurse led them into a trauma bay. “Either of ya know how to get in touch with her next-of-kin since you’re not married?”

“Won’t happen,” Ash answered. “She might look weak and pitiful right now, but call her mother and watch how quick she turns into a full-on demon.”

The charge nurse seemed disturbed by that as her _fiancé_ got her settled on the gurney so she could start getting her vitals. He was forced to explain that she’d left her home State ’cuz she couldn’t abide by her mother’s behavior and the way she treated her anymore, so she’d cut off all contact. In fact, he’d been the one to take her to his attorney about naming him as Power of Attorney not long after they’d met, just so that her mother wouldn’t have to be notified in an event like this.

Bobby couldn’t help a sigh of relief since he couldn’t legally make those kinda calls, but didn’t want her mother to be notified, either. If she’d given his _fiancé_ ample reason to run away and cut off contact, she didn’t deserve to be told that the young woman was being hospitalized. Didn’t matter to him if she was just treated in the ER and discharged, or if she was admitted for an overnight stay.

The pair of bassists stood back outta the nurse’s way, the older one making sure Aerin could grab his hand if she reached out for it. He may not be her Power of Attorney or next-of-kin, but she wouldn’t let any of the staff touch her without him nearby. Clearly, she both wanted and needed the Comfort of his presence as much as that of Ash, and he was more than willing to give it to her. Somehow, he got the feeling that this wasn’t just a case of the flu or something, but he wasn’t gonna voice his opinion just yet in case he was wrong.

After about three hours in the ER, during which Time Aerin was given fluids since she was severely dehydrated as well as something to settle her stomach, they got their diagnosis. It certainly wasn’t expected by either of the men with her, although one shoulda expected it more than the other, if everyone was honest. Neither of them’d even thought about rubbers or any other contraceptives the Night he proposed, after all.

Still, to find out that the young woman was pregnant certainly answered a few questions, not to mention explained a few things he’d noticed. Just about every Time he’d called her for the past couple weeks, she’d either been napping or hadn’t even gotten up for the Day yet. Ash said she was sleeping an abnormal amount, or so it seemed, but maybe that’d been ’cuz she was so sick that she wasn’t sleeping as much as he’d thought. But one of the things the Silver Fox didn’t say where he could hear was that he’d noticed how she’d winced and almost started crying when he just barely brushed her breast upon picking her up earlier, which was definitely abnormal.

“Breast tenderness is one of the symptoms of pregnancy,” the attending physician explained with a chuckle.

“I remember that now,” Bobby said. “This isn’t my first rodeo, so to speak.”

“Oh?” she asked, cocking a brow curiously.

“Crazy as it might be, I’ve two kids about my _fiancé’s_ age,” the older bassist chuckled. “It might be vague at this point, but I remember some of the shit my ex-wife went through with them.”

 _“Ahhhh,_ I see.” The attending–whose badge read _Dr. Lita Elliott, MD_ –nodded her Understanding. “So, you’re not surprised by this diagnosis?”

Looking up at the younger bassist, then down at Aerin, he bit his lip for a moment before shaking his head. “Honestly, I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t kill me for it, not that it happened.”

“Whyddaya say that, Bobby?” the younger bassist asked curiously.

“Got so caught up in the moment last month that I didn’t even think about a rubber,” he admitted, his face flushing slightly. “What a fuckin’ teenage move, right?”

The third set of Chocolate eyes in the room widened in shock. “Dude, ya know how she feels about having kids!”

“I know that, Ash, and I’m already beating myself up over it enough,” Bobby grumbled.

“Then I’d say you’re punishing yourself more than enough over something there’s no need to punish anyone over.”

Looking back to his young _fiancé,_ he looked as surprised as her roommate.

“Whyddaya think I didn’t mention protection _after_ that first round?” Aerin giggled, finally starting to look better than she had earlier.

“Wait, ya _knew_ I’d forgotten it?” the older bassist asked, even more surprised.

“Not till after that first round,” she chuckled. “By that point, the damage’d been done, so why bother? Either I’d conceive, or I wouldn’t, and I saw no need to stress over it.”

“Butcha said ya never wanted kids,” he said, dumbfounded.

The young woman chuckled again and squeezed his hand as she reminded him that that was if she’d a chance to stop it from happening. Looking him dead in the eye, she reminded him that she was also a _let-Nature-take-its-course_ kinda girl, so if it happened, it happened–if not, that was fine, too. She wasn’t gonna stress herself into an early grave or actually cause a miscarriage by worrying about something she’d no Control over.

Dr. Elliott told them that that was prolly one of the best ways she coulda handled the situation, even if she _was_ upset with her _fiancé_ for being careless. Whether she’d conceived or not, the extra stress could damage her own system and cause some serious Health problems, and with her medical history from just her mom’s side, that was the last thing she needed.

Since she _was_ pregnant, though, Aerin definitely needed to keep the stress as minimal as possible, especially for the next eight weeks or so. Miscarriage rates were the highest till around the twelfth week of pregnancy, and she was estimated to be around four weeks. An appointment with an OB/GYN’d tell them more definitively, but judging by her hormone levels in the blood work, they were pretty sure in their estimation. Even Bobby thought that estimation sounded about right, ’cuz it’d been right around four weeks since he’d proposed right around two weeks after his birthday, and he hadn’t been so careless before then.

Given that there wasn’t much else that could be done for her, the attending kept the young woman long enough to make sure she was rehydrated. Then she wrote her a scrip for almost the same anti-nausea medication she’d been given, just an oral form instead of an intravenous one. From there, she was sent home with the instructions to get some rest and set up an appointment with a local OB/GYN, her friend and _fiancé_ at her side. It was certainly an unexpected event for them, but they–particularly she and the older bassist–were determined to make the best of it.


	2. Two

“So, you’re really not pissed at me for my carelessness?”

Looking up from where her head was resting on his chest as they cuddled in her bed, Aerin took in the somewhat tortured expression of her _fiancé_. He still looked worried, even though they’d gotten a diagnosis that explained why she’d been so sick for the last week and she’d managed to get some real sleep after getting discharged from the ER. Still, it was obvious that while her Health came first, he was still worried she’d try to kill him for such a juvenile move.

“Bobby, I already told ya, don’t stress yourself out over it,” she said, squirming into a position where they could see each other better.

“I know that, my lil Shadow Kitten,” the bassist sighed, rubbing her back. “But I also remember how ya told me the very Night we met thatcha didn’t want kids–even if _I_ was the potential daddy.”

“Yeah, and that was also before I truly fell in Love with the man ya are at heart,” Aerin giggled. “I’d my guard up that Night, ’cuz I didn’t know what kinda guy ya really were once ya were offstage–and off the road, for that matter.”

“Yeah, I guess I can see keeping your guard up,” Bobby chuckled. “I prolly woulda, too, if the roles’d been reversed.”

“But now that I know you’re fully dedicated to whatever ya wind up a part of–Intentionally or by accident–why should I wanna kill ya over it?” the young woman asked. “The only Time ya leave physically is when ya go back home to Miami, and I know ya wouldn’t even do that, if it weren’t for your kids and restaurant.”

“Well, that’s coming to an End here soon, if I’ve my way about it,” he told her, his expression turning a bit stubborn.

Cocking a brow, she looked up at him curiously, which made him reach over to grab his laptop off the nightstand he’d claimed as his own. Making sure to keep it propped on his legs once he’d raised his knees so it could breathe and wouldn’t burn him, he flipped the lid open so the screen’d turn on. It took him a moment, but he managed to get it opened enough to see what he was doing, his hand settling so he could use the touchpad.

Aerin watched as he maximized his browser, surprised when the webpage he’d last viewed materialized to show a real estate listing. She’d known he was entertaining the notion of moving up here since she wouldn’t move down to Miami, but she hadn’t thought he was actually serious. Her eyes were the size of dinner plates as she looked up at him, which made him laugh when he saw her expression.

Gesturing to the screen, Bobby told her to look through the pictures and read the description that went with the listing. The young woman Returned her attention to it and read, _Virtually every aspect of this estate from the windows, doors, millwork, hand-chiseled exterior Stone’s custom_ – _over three and a-half Years to build, this is a must see for any buyer in this price range. Watch the attached video link for an excellent overview! The fifth bedroom can serve as an in-law suite with a private kitchen and bath_. From there, she turned her attention to the pictures, and she almost immediately liked what she saw in the first couple of the exterior.

The second she clapped eyes on the foyer, she didn’t even care that it was almost as bright and Airy as the foyer of her _fiancé’s_ current home. It was so beautiful and grand, she almost thought it was more befitting of a Palace than a mansion, no matter how rich the owner of the mansion. The old-World style of pretty much every room that came after that was right up her alley, the bed- and bathrooms luxurious, but not gaudy-level opulent. However, she scrunched her nose at the Color of the dining room and kitchen, already repainting it in her mind’s eye.

“So, where the hell’s this house at?” Aerin asked curiously.

“Scroll back up, and you’ll be surprised,” he chuckled.

Doing as told, she took a look at the address–not to mention the price tag–and she really was. “This ain’t very far from here!”

“Which’s exactly why it tops my list,” the bassist told her. “I knew ya wanted to stay close to Ash, and even the other side of Nashville’s a lil too far away for me since even I like this area.”

“But–nearly five mil as a price tag?” she asked, eyes wide as she looked up at him.

“Actually, I paid about a mil less than that for my current house,” Bobby admitted. “And when I didn’t have as much money, to boot.”

“Seriously?” the young woman asked, surprised.

“I was still recouping it after my divorce, the restaurant having a bad couple Years, and raising two kids,” he answered, nodding. “My house was built in ’08, but the financial part stretched out more than just a couple Years after the divorce.”

“And raising kids ain’t cheap,” Aerin said, biting her lip as she rubbed her belly.

“Trust me, it was even worse when Zach was first born,” he chuckled. “I’d quite a bit of money, yeah, but not nearly as much as I do now.”

Turning her attention back to the screen, she scrolled down to look at the actual specs of the house, mainly curious about the Year it was built. Just a bit of skimming revealed that it was built in 1999, so it was only about five Years older than the house they were currently in. Much to her delight, the four-acre lot it was on gave them plenty of Space to Create their own Hidden Oasis like the one that Dominated Ash’s back yard, if that’s what they wanted.

It was a five-bed, nine-bath house, so it was honestly about the same size as this one, too, just on far more Land. That meant they’d have plenty of Space for themselves, to set up a nursery for this baby, and even for Zach and Zoe to move up to Nashville with him, if they wanted to. And after that, they’d still have enough Space for a guest suite, and they wouldn’t necessarily have to renovate what appeared to be a guest or pool house out back. Well, that’s if it didn’t already sport one of the five beds and nine baths, or a suite that hadn’t been mentioned in the description.

Bobby could tell that his _fiancé_ was impressed by the listing he was showing her, but torn over how much it’d cost to buy. He gently tilted her head back with a thumb under her chin and captured her lips with his, effectively breaking that train of Thought. For the second Time, he basically said without using as many words that he didn’t care about the price, as long as she liked it.

Looking over the pictures again, Aerin couldn’t stop herself from falling in Love with this house as much as she’d fallen in Love with the man clearly Intent on buying it. She’d never admit it aloud, but she’d always Dreamt of living in a house like this, but never thought it’d actually happen. Then again, she’d never expected to meet Ash, let alone the older bassist, and yet that’d still happened to her. Considering that, the young woman finally looked up and nodded, agreeing to taking a tour of what could very well become their baby’s childhood home the next Day.


	3. Three

Early the next Morn, Aerin was up a couple hours before her _fiancé_ so much as stirred like he was soon to start waking up. She’d woken up a hair nauseous, not to mention so ravenous that she felt like she hadn’t eaten a single bite in more than a week. Not only that, but she was excited about touring the house they could very well move into soon, and she also needed to start looking around for an OB/GYN.

By the Time Bobby finally couldn’t fight waking up, no thanks to his full bladder, the young woman’d managed to find a local OB/GYN and schedule an appointment with them. It wasn’t till ten the next Morn, so they’d have plenty of Time for that house tour without being late to her appointment. That said, she’d almost been so impatient that she went to pounce on him as a wake-up call like a small child woulda. Only having no desire to be quite that wild and have it make her vomit on him’d stopped her, so she was practically bouncing by the Time he woke up.

“Well, looks like someone’s in a good mood this Morn,” the bassist chuckled sleepily.

“Damn right, I am,” Aerin told him. “Can’t help that I’m excited about this house we’re gonna go see today.”

“What about a doctor’s appointment?” he asked, cocking a brow as he slid his glasses on so he could see her clearly.

“Already taken care of,” the young woman laughed. “It ain’t till tomorrow Morn at ten.”

“Then I see no reason not to go see this house, as long as you’re feeling up to it,” Bobby told her. “Once I get coffee, that is.”

“Still haven’t been able to give it up, huh?” she asked with a grin.

“Hey, at least I don’t drink a whole pot over the course of the Day anymore!” the bassist shot back with a laugh. “I’ve gotten to where I can usually function on one, maybe two cups first thing in the Morn.”

“And that’s dependent on how well ya sleep, right?” Aerin asked.

“That, or whether I’ve just flown up here or back home,” he answered, nodding as he moved to the Keurig on the counter.

“Hey, in that case, I can’t really bitch,” the young woman said. “I just don’t want your guts falling outta your ass again.”

“Believe me, you’re not the only one,” Bobby told her. “Definitely not one of the most fun Times in my Life, that’s for sure.”

Laughing again, she moved to start on a small breakfast for them since neither were generally very hungry first thing after waking up. He shot her a small, but approving smile as he made his coffee, knowing she needed to eat more, now that they knew she was pregnant. She wasn’t eating for just herself, after all–she was eating for herself plus one, so she needed more fuel than in the Past.

After they’d killed off that small breakfast and gotten dressed, they headed out to Aerin’s truck so they could head to the house they were wanting to see. The bassist’d called the Realtor while they were eating, and the woman’d agreed to meet them there in an hour or so. Still so excited she was practically bouncing, she handed her keys to him, knowing he’d rather drive when she was like this. But that was fine by her, as long as they got there in one piece rather than winding up in a wreck that killed them and their unborn baby.

Parking in front of the house they were viewing made her eyes widen more than the pictures she’d seen online did. It was even more gorgeous in person, and if that could be said about the exterior, she hoped the interior wasn’t done Justice by the pictures, either. She hoped it was even better than those pictures’d shown it as she grabbed Bobby’s hand, lacing their fingers together as they walked up to the front door, where a smartly-dressed woman was waiting for them.

* * *

An hour-long tour of the house that’d grabbed the bassist’s attention and talking about its specs’d him pulling out his checkbook before they even left. He was too impressed with the place, his _fiancé_ already too in Love with it, for him to not wanna buy it on the spot. Financing wasn’t a problem for him since he could more than afford to buy it outright, just like he’d managed to do with the house he currently owned down in Miami. The same could also be said about the vacation house he owned out in Utah, which was where he stayed when he went on the ski trips he loved.

The Realtor’d been surprised by him doing that, but Aerin hadn’t been since she knew him prolly better than most people. He didn’t do anything without thinking it through fifteen Times over, and if he was already pulling out his checkbook, she knew he’d done just that. There was nothing that was gonna talk him outta making this purchase now, so she just kept her mouth shut and didn’t even try.

Granted, it’d still take a while for them to do and file the paperwork that’d transfer ownership to him, thus closing the deal. She honestly didn’t care about that as much as she did about being able to move in as soon as possible, as excited as she was. She’d still prolly stay with Ash while he was packing up his Miami house and actually moving up here, just so she wasn’t by herself if something happened, but she still wanted to move in sooner rather than later. And while she was waiting on him to pack up his Miami house, she could be taking her Time with packing her own belongings so she didn’t overtax herself while pregnant.

Bobby more than agreed with that game plan, even threatening to use what she’d taught him about tying a partner to a bed to–well, tie her to the bed, if need be. He didn’t want anything happening to her or their baby ’cuz she’d done something stupid, and if he’d to tie her down to meet that End, he’d do it. The young woman couldn’t help laughing, even though she knew how serious he was as they headed back to her truck hand-in-hand.

“So, ya excited to move up here to the country Music Capital?” she asked with a grin.

“I’m more excited to just be with you and not have to do all this Traveling back and forth,” the bassist chuckled, sliding the key into the ignition.

“Good answer,” Aerin laughed. “I’ve trained ya well.”

“Ya ain’t trained me in shit, sweetheart!” he crowed as he cranked the truck. “I’m just following my heart–and my heart’s leading me straight to you.”

“Not to mention this baby,” the young woman said, rubbing her belly.

“Well, of course,” Bobby agreed as he threw the truck into Reverse. “But I don’t necessarily need anymore kids–I’ve already got Zach and Zoe. I dunno that I could carry on, if I lost _you,_ though.”

“You’re such a sap when ya wanna be,” she giggled, unable to help blushing slightly.

“Like I told ya the Morn after I proposed when ya practically begged for an answer, you’re my Queen,” the bassist told her. “I wouldn’t have picked the engagement ring I did, if ya weren’t.”

“And you’re my King.” Aerin smiled as he reached over to lace their fingers together once he’d turned the truck around.

Now that they’d gotten the ball rolling on where they were gonna live, there were plenty of other plans to be made. The majority of them revolved around their handfasting, such as when they were gonna do it and the location it should be done in. Since he was Intent on moving to Nashville for her, the young woman agreed to a Beach handfasting down in Miami before he left Florida for good. And while she wasn’t exactly picky on the date, she refused to handfast in May, insisting that it was the ultimate disrespect to the Deities, who’d been considered to wed in that month for Centuries, even Millennia.

Something else that was on Bobby’s mind–which he hadn’t even talked to her about–was his Future in Poison. He’d obviously taken some Time off to recover from his surgery, not even thinking about a possible Summer tour the following Year. But now that he’d found out he was gonna be a daddy again, he wasn’t sure he even wanted to remain a part of the band anymore.

He’d missed out on, been robbed of, and sacrificed so much with his older kids due to being in the band that he didn’t wanna do that again this Time around. When one added in the fact that he wasn’t nearly as young as he’d been when Zach and Zoe were born, one couldn’t really blame him for wanting all the Time with his family that he could get. It was something he was gonna have to think long and hard about before he made his next move, which might shock the entire Planet.

Over the course of the next month, the closing for the house Bobby’d decided to buy up in Nashville went pretty quick. By the Time mid-January rolled around, he was the proud owner of three different homes, and he was more than happy with that. Granted, soon it’d be back down to just two homes, but that’d only come once he sold his house in Miami so he could move.

In addition to closing on the new house he fully Intended to turn into a home with Aerin at his side, he’d been doing some serious thinking. The rest of the guys were kinda, sorta hinting at wanting to hit the road again, and while he’d normally be all for it, he’d some drawbacks this Time around. He didn’t wanna have to put off handfasting with his _fiancé,_ nor have to leave her almost immediately after that big Day so he could hit the road for two months. That just wasn’t fair to either of them, as far as he was concerned, but there was also another, bigger reason for him.

The bassist hadn’t told the rest of his band about finding out she was pregnant just yet, both of them agreeing to keeping quiet till she hit the twelve-week mark, if they could. She didn’t wanna jinx herself into a miscarriage by telling too many people too soon, so the only ones who knew were them, Ash–given that he was with them when they found out–and his older kids. Zach and Zoe deserved to know they were gonna be big siblings, so she’d agreed to telling them almost as soon as they found out.

Due to how much he’d missed out on, been robbed of, and sacrificed during his ex-wife’s pregnancies and his older kids’ childhoods, he wanted to be around for this one. Not only that, but finding out the young woman was actually pregnant with twins at that doctor’s appointment the Morn after they toured their new house really made him wanna be here with her. She was no doubt gonna need a lotta help up to the Day she delivered, and it was a certainty that she would after she did. Bobby didn’t feel that it was right of him or fair to her to leave for a tour–or be in the middle of one–when that big Day came, but there was only one way he could think of to get outta going.

“Are ya sure ya wanna do this, love?” she asked, biting her lip.

“I’m sure, sweetheart,” the bassist answered, nodding. “I’ve thought about this more than ya think I have, and I’ve made my decision.”

“Ya know the World’s gonna lose its shit when ya announce that you’re leaving Poison, right?” Aerin asked, letting out a sad sigh.

“There’s more important things to me in Life than Poison,” he answered. “Yeah, the band got me to where I am, and I wouldn’t be the man I am without it, but I’m not making the same mistakes this Time around.”

“And I get that,” the young woman told him. “I just hope the rest of the Planet can.”

“Only one way to find out,” Bobby chuckled, leaning down to give her a quick kiss.

While she was gonna be on the set of the interview he was about to do–which even his band mates were unaware of–they didn’t plan on her being on camera unless necessary. Not only did the bassist like his privacy outside the band, but she was downright paranoid about hers, and had been for over a decade. She made him look like an open book like Nikki Sixx was in comparison, she was so concerned with keeping her head down, so to speak.

Once settled on the couch he’d been directed to, he shot a quick look at Aerin, who gave him a supportive smile and a thumbs-up from where she was standing off-camera. The bassist couldn’t help the tender smile he shot her in Return, which made all of the crew let out a collective _awww_. He knew they wouldn’t be as Calm as they were in just a short while, so they’d best enjoy it while they could.

The interviewer he was sitting down with today was one he’d worked with several Times in the Past, and he liked how he never tried to twist whatever came outta his mouth. No matter how shocking something he said was, he always posted the videos and transcriptions exactly as they were, ratings for his rock magazine be damned. He was certainly one of the few that he commend for being a journalist, considering the list of those kind was short for him. Most got on his nerves, tried to twist his words, or simply wouldn’t leave well enough alone, no matter what he did or didn’t tell them.

“All right, guys,” the interviewer–Doug–said once he was settled and the cameras were rolling. “Today, I’m here to do a bit of a surprise interview with the bassist of Poison, Bobby Dall.”

Bobby waved to the camera that was turned on him, the other man keeping his eye on the one he knew was behind him to capture shots of him and his reactions as he asked questions and got answers.

“And I say that this is a bit of a surprise, ’cuz for once, it wasn’t me who reached out to him,” he continued, then turned his attention to him. “So, tell me, Bobby–why’d ya wanna do this interview, considering how notoriously private ya are outside the band?”

“Well, to be quite honest, it involves the band–in a very big way,” the bassist answered, pausing to clear his throat.

“Oh–got some exciting news for us?” Doug asked. “After all, fans’ve been clamoring for another tour since last Summer.”

“I’ve some news, all right–but it’s not gonna be exciting for really anyone but me,” he answered.

The interviewer looked surprised, but motioned for him to continue.

“After putting a lotta Thought into it, I’ve decided to cash in my chips and quit Poison,” Bobby said, not in the mood to mince words.

The jaws of everyone in the room with the exception of his _fiancé_ dropped straight to its owner’s feet when he said that. In all Honesty, that was exactly the kinda reaction he was expecting, so he didn’t let it faze him as he waited for what he knew was coming. Now was the Time for complete and utter Honesty–as much as he dared give, that is–and he didn’t plan to be anything less.

“C-Come again, Bobby?” Doug asked, clearly shocked speechless.

“I think ya heard me, but I’ll say it again,” he told him. “I’ve decided to cash in my chips and quit Poison.”

“All right, quit being funny,” the interviewer chuckled, although it sounded strained. “Surely there’s another reason why ya wanted to have a sit-down today.”

“No, there’s not,” Bobby answered, shaking his head.

“Then I gotta ask–why on Earth would ya wanna suddenly quit the band you’ve been a part of since its inception?” he asked, starting to regain his wits.

“Let’s just say a lot in my Life’s Changed in the last Year,” the bassist answered. “And it’s gonna continue Changing for a while yet. I wanna be there to experience it, not trapped in a rolling Sardine can and tripping over a dozen other pairs of nuts besides my own.”

“Now you’ve got me curious as to what coulda Changed _that_ drastically,” Doug admitted.

“Personal shit, man,” he chuckled.

“Has it got anything to do with that rumored Health crisis ya suffered a few months ago?” the interviewer asked curiously.

“Partially,” Bobby answered with a nod. “The guys’ve been talking about wanting to tour again this coming Summer, but I just don’t feel quite like I’m ready for that after a major surgery.”

That made him shoot him a curiously confused look, and the bassist couldn’t help a chuckle as he was asked to elaborate. He said he wasn’t gonna go into detail, simply ’cuz it was prolly a lil too graphic for the general public to handle, but that he’d cover the most basic parts. Nodding, Doug gestured for him to continue, and he took a deep breath before saying that it’d been an abdominal surgery he was still technically Healing from. He didn’t think he’d be fully Healed till closer to the End of the Year–not the way he’d need to be able to handle the rigors of touring, that is.

“Yeesh, sounds like it was pretty bad,” he told him with a wince.

“Oh, I’ve a pretty good battle scar from it,” Bobby chuckled. “I don’t think this one’ll ever fade before I die.”

“Now I kinda wanna see it, but I get it, if ya don’t wanna show it off,” the interviewer laughed.

“Oh, I don’t mind showing it off,” he told him, joining his laughter. “It’s pretty low, but not so low that I’ma be indecent from showing it.”

All eyes in the room were locked on him as he rose from the couch and pulled up his T-shirt, then started opening his fly. He shoved one hand down the front of his boxers to make sure he was covered before working said jeans and boxers down with his other hand. The scar on his lower belly was Dark compared to the flesh around it, so there was no missing it unless one’d their eyeballs removed, or was otherwise blind.

“Holy shit, that _is_ pretty Dark, dude,” Doug said, his eyes widening.

“Yeah, and that’s three months out from being split open,” the bassist laughed, making himself decent again before reclaiming his seat.

“Okay, I can definitely see why you’d want a lil more Time off, if you’re not even six out from surgery,” he told him. “But I’m sure that’s not the only thing that played into your decision to just up and quit the band.”

“It’s not, but like ya said before, I’ma private guy,” Bobby said with a chuckle. “I’d rather not tell since I don’t consider it the general public’s business.”

“Hey, I’m not trying to pressure ya,” the interviewer laughed. “I’m just saying that I’m curious, and ya know the rest of the World’s gonna be, too.”

He shot a sly glance outta the corner of his eye, Silently asking Aerin if she wanted to reveal at least that they were engaged. Doug took notice of that sly look and followed his gaze, almost instantly realizing that whatever topic it was, it involved the young woman who’d come in with his guest. Shrugging, she motioned for one of the Sound crew to get her wired up, uncaring of whether she looked like shit on camera or not.

“So, who’s this?” the interviewer asked once she’d joined them.

“This’d be my _fiancé,”_ Bobby answered, unable to help giving her a tender smile.

“Let’s just go with Rebel for a name,” she chuckled. “If ya think Bobby’s a private guy, I make him look like the open book that Nikki Sixx is in comparison.”

“Damn, really?” Doug asked, shocked there was actually someone more private than the bassist on the Planet.

“Nasty breakup when I was seventeen led me to being paranoid about my safety,” the young woman answered. “Ever since then–well, I don’t really tell much to those I dunno very well and trust almost explicitly.”

“All right, fair enough,” he agreed, nodding. “So, did I hear correctly, or did I just imagine the word _fiancé_ coming outta his mouth?”

Aerin laughed as she told him that he most certainly hadn’t misheard him, holding out her hand for the camera to show off her ring. Doug gently took her hand to inspect it, clearly Awed by its Beauty as he let go of her fingers moments later. That led them to explaining how they’d even met, let alone worked up to getting engaged recently, which only a couple other friends and family members knew about as of yet.

“I’m not getting into why, but I left my home State a lil over two Years ago,” she explained. “I made a pit stop here in Nashville to grab a nap and some coffee afterward. The plan was to go as far as whatever money I had would take me, then figure out what to do when I hit that point.”

“But something pretty drastic obviously happened that made ya stay here,” the interviewer stated.

“I Ended up quite literally running into one of my idols–we were both wearing my coffee as I debated going for a nut-shot,” Aerin recalled with a laugh. “He insisted on replacing my coffee and finding out why I was living outta my car when he followed me and saw everything I owned in it.”

“And lemme guess–he decided to help ya out?” Doug asked.

_“Mmm hmm_ –been living with him as his roommate ever since,” the young woman answered with a nod. “And it was ’cuz of him being determined that I got to see Mötley at least once and have better memories of getting to see Poison when they announced that 2020 tour why Bobby and I even met.”

“Sounds like a helluva friend,” he told her.

“He definitely is,” Bobby agreed with a chuckle. “He lemme crash here in Nashville with them when I first had surgery since I was already up here when the reason why happened.”

“Now I gotta ask–if you live in Florida, and have since the eighties, but your _fiancé_ lives in Tennessee…how’re ya gonna make a marriage work?”

The bassist couldn’t help a proud grin as he explained how he’d actually decided to move to the country Music Capital, given that she wouldn’t move South to Florida. During the Time that he’d been trapped here to recover, he’d fallen in Love with the area as much as he’d fallen in Love with his Lady, and if she wouldn’t come to him, he’d come to her instead. It wasn’t like he’d young children that he was gonna have to uproot and bring with him now–his kids were grown, and they could come with him if they wanted to, or remain in their home State.

Doug seemed surprised to hear him say that, but he was Beginning to get a better idea of why he’d chosen to quit the band and leave what he loved, career-wise. He wasn’t nearly as young as he’d once been, so touring was no doubt harder for him to manage now, and with a wedding on the horizon, no doubt he wanted more Time with his Lady than he’d prolly been getting.

It wasn’t long before they finally wrapped up the interview, thankfully without having to reveal her pregnancy to not just the crew, but the entire World. Bobby knew the rest of his band was gonna be shocked and blowing up his phone within a few hours, a Day or two at most, but he didn’t care. This was something he felt he _needed_ to do, and he wasn’t backing down or Changing his mind, no matter what tempting offers they put in front of him.


	4. Four

_“B_ _obby_ – _what the fuckin’ hell, man!?”_

Grunting sleepily as he almost immediately got his ear blown out, the bassist pulled his phone away from his head and squinted as he looked at the screen again. Vaguely able to make out _Bret_ as the contact name, he groaned as he realized what’d just woken him up outta a dead sleep–and why. While it was already around nine in Nashville, it was still only around seven on the West Coast, and no doubt he hadn’t thought about the Time difference.

_“Some fuckin’ heads-up woulda been nice before ya just tore the band to shreds!”_ the frontman continued before he could even get a word in edgewise.

_“Bret, that’s enough.”_

Bobby’s brow furrowed as he heard the band’s drummer in the background before a slight scuffling that denoted him taking the phone from the shorter blonde.

_“He coulda been a bit nicer about how he put it, but yeah_ – _some heads-up woulda certainly been nice, dude,”_ Rikki told him. _“What on Earth made ya do that interview, and without telling any of us before ya did it?”_

_“And don’t say it was_ just _’cuz ya got engaged,”_ CC chimed in. _“By the way, congrats on that part, man.”_

“Thanks, guys,” he chuckled, still sounding sleepy since they’d woken him up. “Gimme a minute to get outta the bedroom so I don’t wake Aerin up.”

The bassist heard murmurs of confused assent as he tossed the covers off his legs and sat up so he could throw them over the edge of the bed. His _fiancé_ let out a soft whine, as if begging him not to leave her, which made him pause with his phone laying on the bed next to his pillow. Murmuring softly, he told her that he wouldn’t be gone long, that he’d every Intent of keeping this phone call short so he could come back to bed since he was tired, too.

In the dim Light cast on the ceiling by his phone, he saw Aerin pout at him adorably, the sleepy look in her eyes clearly begging for a kiss. Chuckling softly, he was happy to oblige by that before getting up to head to the living room, phone in hand as she settled down to go back to sleep. They’d both been tired after a long Day, she more so than him due to her twin pregnancy, which was exhausting.

“All right, now I’m where I can actually talk without keeping her awake,” Bobby told them once he was in the living room.

_“Then let’s hear it,”_ the frontman growled, clearly pissed by the news they’d no doubt heard by now.

_“’Cuz we know damn good and well it wasn’t simply getting engaged that’d make ya do something like this, especially behind our backs,”_ Rikki agreed.

Sighing, he ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, you’re right about that–but Aerin and I agreed not to say anything to _anyone_ who didn’t need to know yet, so I don’t wanna without her being on board.”

_“Wait, what?”_ the entire trio chorused.

“Might as well, love.”

Looking up, he saw that his _fiancé’d_ followed him to the living room. “Shit, I didn’t think we woke ya up enough to follow me.”

“Y’all didn’t, but my bladder did,” Aerin giggled as she joined him on the couch. “That part–and just being sick–definitely sucks.”

_“Wait a minute_ – _Aerin, are ya…?”_ the drummer asked, his tone screaming that something’d just clicked for him.

“Am I, what?” she countered, the grin on her face telling her _fiancé_ that she was teasing them Intentionally.

_“Are ya pregnant?”_ Rikki asked, sounding dumbfounded.

_“Mmm hmm_ –blame your now-former band mate for that one,” the young woman giggled.

_“Well, I’m sure it’s partly_ your _fault, too,”_ the guitarist chuckled. _“Takes two to tango, after all.”_

“Oh, we’re not denying that,” Bobby laughed. “But it _was_ my fault for getting so caught up in my proposal that I didn’t even think about protection till it was too late.”

“And I didn’t bother saying anything after the first round without it, ’cuz what was the point?” the young woman asked. “The damage’d been done by that point, and either I was gonna conceive, or I wasn’t. I saw no need to give him a heart attack, or make him sleep with one eye open ’cuz he thought I was gonna kill him for it.”

_“All right, that’s fair enough,”_ the drummer said.

_“But did it_ really _require quitting the band, though?”_ CC asked.

The bassist took a deep breath and sighed, wrapping an arm around his _fiancé_ as he forced his sleepy brain into gear so he could think straight. He admitted that he’d wanted to continue, but between his surgery, not wanting to put off their handfasting, and now finding out Aerin was pregnant, he just hadn’t thought it was a good idea. After the five Years they’d taken off between the _Rock of Ages_ tour and what was being dubbed as their _Comeback_ tour in 2017, he didn’t wanna put fans through another five-Year wait–especially when he might still End up quitting the band eventually.

Instead of holding the guys back ’cuz of his Health problems and his personal Life getting a bit more complicated that he’d planned for, he’d decided to free them to do what they would. Either they could replace him–much like Black Veil Brides’d done after they and Ash parted ways–or they could simply disband altogether. He didn’t really care which, and even seeing Poison disband wouldn’t hurt his feelings, if that was the decision they came to.

Bobby told them that maybe they’d End up getting back together in a few Years, just like Mötley’d done when they’d blown up their _cessation of touring_ contract. The Future was never set in Stone, or he’d have seen getting married and having more babies coming long before it actually happened. He just couldn’t bring himself to handfast, then almost immediately leave for tour, depending on when they decided to have the ceremony. And just as he’d Dreamt about recently, it wasn’t fair to his _fiancé_ for him to leave her when she needed him most–or drag her across the country when she needed Stability–not to mention possibly miss his babies’ Births.

_“Wait, babies?”_ Rikki asked, sounding shocked.

“Yeah, we found out that it’s twins,” he answered, nodding despite their being unable to see him. “Which’s part of the reason why I chose to quit the band–I don’t wanna leave her home alone with two babies when it’s gonna take two adults to take care of them.”

_“What about Ash, though?”_ Bret asked. _“Couldn’t he help her with them?”_

“He could, but they’re _my_ babies,” the bassist told him. “Why should another man have to help raise them, even for two months, unless I’m dead and gone?”

_“He’s a point, Bret,”_ the drummer agreed. _“Besides, Ash’s his own Life to live_ – _he may be too busy to help her, and that’s assuming he’d actually wanna.”_

_“Yeah, ’cuz he’s all-Time working on that clothing line of his and his solo Music,”_ CC chimed in. _“And he seemed to be getting pretty cozy with that redheaded friend of Aerin’s that was at her birthday party last Autumn.”_

“That’s ’cuz he and Aidan wound up getting together,” the young woman laughed. “They’ve been dating ever since then and somehow making a long-distance relationship work just like Bobby and I have.”

_“Which leads me to that part,”_ the frontman said. _“How on Earth’re ya gonna keep making_ that _work after getting married_ and _having twins?”_

“I’m moving to Nashville,” Bobby answered matter-of-factly. “She can’t take the heat and humidity of South Florida for long periods, and I actually kinda like this area–it grew on me when I was recovering right after that surgery.”

_“That explains why ya don’t wanna leave her alone, even if Ash_ would _help her,”_ Rikki said, sounding Enlightened as he put the pieces together.

“Bingo,” Aerin chuckled. “I’m already gonna be alone once I get my stuff packed up while he’s down in Florida doing the same so he can sell that house.”

The guys sounded surprised to find out that he’d already bought a house up there in Tennessee, which made them both laugh. Bobby admitted that the whole Time he was closing on his new house, he’d been thinking about which Direction to go in, as far as the Future of the band was concerned. He hadn’t just made a knee-jerk decision when he knew whatever he chose to do would affect the trio of blondes, too.

Even though they clearly weren’t happy about it, judging by the grumbles the couple heard, now they could understand why he’d chosen to quit the band. What all three of them really wanted to know, though–why hadn’t he bothered giving them a heads-up before he did it? They all agreed that they’d have liked to know what was about to hit them in the faces like a barrel of bricks between the eyes.

Letting out another heavy sigh, the bassist admitted that he’d known they’d try to talk him outta doing it and just putting the band on hiatus for a few Years. He hadn’t wanted to start second-guessing himself, or End up making a choice that didn’t work out and still led to them disbanding. The easiest way to keep that from happening was to just quit and let them find out when the rest of the World did, even though it was obviously a more brutal and shocking way to do it. For that part, he was genuinely sorry, but he wouldn’t go back and Change his mind on it, even if he’d been able to.

_“I guess I can understand that,”_ the drummer said.

_“’Cuz yeah, we’d have definitely tried to talk ya outta it, after everything this band’s survived together,”_ CC admitted with a laugh.

_“Seriously_ – _two lineup Changes in the nineties, various car and motorcycle wrecks, your back surgery and Rikki’s cancer,”_ Bret agreed. _“The list goes on, as ya well know, but if we could survive that, we could survive even this.”_

“Hey, I’m not saying we won’t have a reunion at all,” he chuckled. “It’s still a possibility that’s on the table.”

“He’s just saying that he needs more Time off than what we’re sure all of y’all will agree to, and that it’s better to free y’all to continue than to hold y’all back,” Aerin told them.

_“Kinda makes me wonder where we’re gonna find a replacement, though,”_ the frontman sighed.

_“Wait a minute.”_ Rikki’d a tone to his voice that sounded like he’d a sudden Epiphany.

_“What is it, man?”_ the guitarist asked, sounding curious.

_“If we’re gonna be looking for a new bassist, why not offer the gig to Ash before we start going through the hell of auditions, if we’re not gonna disband?”_ he asked, posing the question to even Bobby.

“Now, there’s an idea,” the Silver Fox said thoughtfully. “He obviously loves Poison’s Music, and he’s a pretty quick learner–either he’d catch on just by listening, or I could help him learn the riffs in whatever free Time I’ve got once I get moved up here since we’ll be living on a few miles apart.”

_“And if he says no for whatever reason,_ then _we start up the hell of auditioning folks to find a replacement like we did to even find CC, then later replace him twice,”_ the drummer told them.

_“That actually doesn’t sound like a half-bad idea,”_ Bret admitted, clearly sounding like he was mulling it over. _“But I say let’s talk about it more tomorrow_ – _Bobby sounded like we woke him up, and it’s starting to get a bit late here in So Cal.”_

Bobby couldn’t help a laugh, then a yawn, as he admitted that they’d woken him up with their phone call after such a long, busy Day. Not only that, but they’d apparently forgotten about the Time difference due to their shock, which he didn’t exactly blame them for. Each of them’d a sheepish note to their voice as they apologized to even his _fiancé,_ who simply giggled and told them it was all right.

It wasn’t long before they Ended the phone call, making him sigh in relief once the line was dead and he knew they wouldn’t hear anything else he said. Aerin rubbed his back as he hunched over slightly, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands laced together between them. They’d known this was gonna be the hardest part of his sudden announcement, but even he’d to admit that the enormity of the situation was now hitting him a bit harder than anticipated. He was glad that his friends–his brothers–were at least entertaining the notion of moving on without him, even if it was just for a few Years, but it was certainly sad to give up such a big part of himself.

The young woman couldn’t help but feel his pain as if it were her own and snuggled against him much like a young child would snuggle against their father. He couldn’t help a chuckle as he wrapped both arms around her, knowing what she was trying to do as he rested his cheek against the top of her head. It felt a lot better to have someone so supportive in his Life when he needed them most than he’d thought it would when they’d first met.

Not long afterward, they both decided it was Time to head back to bed before they wound up falling asleep on the couch. The bassist couldn’t really sleep on or in anything that wasn’t a bed or recliner due to his old neck injury, given that craning his neck for too long’d really make it act up. Since she didn’t want her _fiancé_ to be suffering needlessly, she insisted they head back to bed where he’d get the proper spinal support, and Bobby was quick to agree. Besides, he knew she didn’t sleep nearly as well on a couch, if only ’cuz there wasn’t really enough room for both of them. Hopefully after a good Night’s sleep, they could get the ball rolling on officially moving into that new house a few miles away.


	5. Five

Ash was surprised when he got a call from his manager the next Day, the man telling him that he needed to come to his label’s office for something. He was confused since work on his next solo release’d been going very well, a projected release date for that Summer already more or less nailed down. Seeing no option but to do as told since whatever he wanted to talk to him about was obviously big, he told him to give him a few minutes to wrap up what he was doing at APFI, and he’d head on over.

The short drive into downtown Nashville was spent wondering what on Earth Dave could possibly need to tell him that’d require a face-to-face. Unless something’d gone screwy–or extremely well–so that they needed to Change that projected release date, he couldn’t think of anything that’d answer that question off the top of his head.

Getting into his manager’s office and seeing the trio of blondes from Poison sitting there with him was more than a bit of a surprise, even for around one in the afternoon. He hadn’t seen them since Aerin’s birthday last October–or rather, a few Days afterward since they’d stuck around long enough for Bobby to be discharged from the hospital. After that, they’d needed to get back to their own Lives out in Los Angeles, so they’d bid the older bassist a bittersweet goodbye and promised to keep in touch so they could keep tabs on how he was doing as he recovered.

“Well, seeing the three of y’all’s definitely a surprise,” the younger bassist chuckled, doling out one-armed hugs as they rose to greet him.

“More of one than ya know, Ash,” Rikki told him with a chuckle of his own.

“Dare I ask, or…?” He cocked a brow curiously at the older blonde.

“This is the part where ya might wanna sit down, Ash,” Dave laughed. “’Cuz if you’re even half as surprised as I am, I’d rather not have to clean your brains up off my office floor.”

_“Ooookaaaay,”_ Ash said, clearly sounding confused.

“We’re guessing ya haven’t heard yet?” Bret asked, his expression turning serious as he settled into business mode.

“Heard what?” the younger bassist countered. “I wasn’t aware that there was anything I needed to hear.”

“I guess he hasn’t,” CC chuckled.

“Well, then–why don’tcha just watch this?” the frontman suggested, handing him a laptop.

Still beyond confused, he took it and saw an online article with the headline _Bobby Dall Quits Poison_ at the top. “Holy shit,” he breathed, his eyes widening.

“Don’t even have to ask if he read the headline,” Rikki laughed. “Just watch the video–or read the transcription, whichever one works for ya.”

Nodding, Ash clicked on the _Play_ button, not wanting to possibly have to reread the same line fifteen Times ’cuz he wound up so shocked, he’d trouble processing what he’d read. He was more than a bit shocked when Aerin joined the older bassist on camera about halfway through, although her obviously not going through the hair and makeup process first _wasn’t_ much of a shock.

The other part that surprised him was that they announced their engagement to the World right there in the video he was watching. Anyone who’d known that Bobby’d even popped the question–himself, included–knew they’d wanted to keep that part of their Lives private. He supposed that even if they’d to admit their engagement, at least they hadn’t had to admit that she was pregnant, knowing full well that neither of them wanted to do that. It wasn’t any of the World’s business, as far as they were concerned, and the World had best be glad they’d shared as much as they had.

“Well, I can safely say that I’m thoroughly shocked shitless,” he said, handing the laptop back to Bret once the video Ended.

“At least we’re all in agreement on that,” the frontman told him.

“Wait, what–Bobby didn’t tell y’all he was gonna do this?” Ash asked, even more surprised than before.

“Not a word,” CC answered, shaking his head. “We didn’t know any more than you apparently did till our manager–” He pointed to the fourth man besides his own manager. “–called us and told us to follow the link he’d just sent to our joint band email.”

“Holy shit,” the younger bassist breathed. “What a way to find out about something like this.”

“Yeah, I’ll say,” Bret chuckled. “Needless to say, whether these two did or not, I didn’t take it too well.”

“Considering how ya started that phone call last Night,” the drummer chuckled.

“So _that’s_ why I heard those two out in the living room after they’d gone to bed,” Ash laughed. “I was wondering about that, but they were still asleep when I left this Morn, so I hadn’t gotten a chance to ask.”

“Yeah, that was prolly why,” Rikki told him. “Bobby’d meant to get away from Aerin so he wouldn’t keep her awake, but apparently her pregnancy made her bladder have other ideas.”

“So, they told y’all about that part, too?” he asked.

“We’re gonna assume ya already knew,” the guitarist said, gesturing between himself and his remaining band mates.

“I was at the ER with ’em when they found out,” the younger bassist answered, nodding. “Took me and Bobby both to get her outta the house and into the building, she was so weak from being sick for a week before then.”

Nodding, the trio of blondes shot a look at each other before all three turned their attention back to him.

“Well, that being said, I think ya already know we’ve only a couple options on the table for us,” Bret told him.

“Well, yeah,” he agreed with a nod of his own. “Completely disband, put the band on hiatus and hope he decides to do a reunion later on, or replace him.”

The trio of blondes nodded again before Rikki took over since it’d been his idea in the first place, and Ash couldn’t help but wonder what they were up to. He was surprised once again when they said they wanted to continue after replacing the older bassist, if possible. None of them were willing to give up on the band they’d sunk more than forty Years of their Lives–not to mention countless gallons of blood, sweat, and tears–into unless they’d no other options. What surprised him even more was when the drummer told him the gig was his, if he wanted it, no questions asked.

None of the blondes could help laughing at the shocked look on his face as he processed that lil bit of information. They’d known he was bound to be shocked, ’cuz they doubted he’d ever considered getting to rock out with some of his idols like that, even as a young buck new to Hollywood. Getting a chance like this was once-in-a-Lifetime, just like meeting and getting engaged to Bobby was for the young woman. They hoped he wouldn’t turn them down without a helluva good reason, if only so they wouldn’t have to go through the hell of auditions instead.

“Honestly, I’m flattered,” the younger bassist said.

“I hear a _but_ coming,” CC chuckled. “Not that I’m surprised by that, mind ya.”

“Well, yeah,” he laughed. “I mean, are y’all sure ya want _me_ as his replacement?”

“Kid, your style’s a lil Dark, if we’re talking about writing new material,” the frontman told him. “But hell, we haven’t done anything new since _Hollyweird_ in ’02.”

“What he’s trying to say is that since the chances of that happening anytime soon’s slim-to-none, learning classics is gonna be easier than trying to blend us with Mötley, as it were,” Rikki agreed.

“That’s if ya wanna, though,” the guitarist reiterated. “None of us’re forcing ya to–we’re just trying to give ya an opportunity and save ourselves some Time, not to mention more than a few headaches.”

“I’ll have to seriously think about it,” Ash responded. “I mean, I’ve new solo stuff in the works, not to mention APFI.”

“And we’ve thought about that,” the drummer said. “Hence why we’re not forcing ya into joining us–not that that’d work any better than giving ya another hole in the head.”

“But Bobby’s already given his Blessing on even offering it to ya,” CC revealed.

“Even said he’d be willing to help ya learn the riffs during what lil free Time he’s got, once he gets moved up here,” Bret agreed.

“If that’s not him giving his Blessing on this crazy idea, we dunno what is,” Rikki chuckled.

The younger bassist couldn’t help a chuckle of his own, still saying he needed a bit of Time to really think it over. None of them’d the heart to deny him that any more than they’d have denied Bobby the Time to think things over before even making this decision, had they been aware before yesterday. Sure, they’d have wanted him to ultimately decide _against_ quitting the band, but they’d have still given him Time so he’d be sure in his decision once he made it.

Ash agreed to think it over once he got home, which he said would prolly be earlier than he’d been planning on for the Day. His mind was all over the place right now, and his most immediate underling at APFI could handle things well enough for him to get his head on straight again. If they couldn’t, he’d try to take care of it over the phone, but he wasn’t going back to the office unless he had to.

Sealing the deal of him at least considering it with a handshake, the group parted ways from there, knowing this could be the Beginning of a good thing for all of them. Poison’d get to continue doing what they loved, even if it didn’t involve writing new material, and he’d get to go back to touring like he loved to do. They’d just have to wait and see what decision he came to before they could plot their next move, so it was like a giant, figurative game of chess. In the End, the blondes just hoped this wouldn’t be their figurative checkmate, leaving them with their hands completely tied.

Back at hers and Ash’s house, Aerin’d just gotten back home from dropping her _fiancé_ off at BNA across town. He was flying back down to Florida to start packing up his belongings, his kids already starting on a bit of that for him while he was on his way there. Even though they didn’t necessarily have to, they were even gonna be packing up all of their belongings and moving with him. He’d already said he’d just sell the house to one of both of them, if they really wanted to stay in Florida, but they’d almost instantly refused.

Neither of them could afford just the utilities it ate up on their own, and they doubted they’d fare any better if they joined Forces. In addition to that, they didn’t wanna stay in Florida while their only real family was living a two- or three-hour flight away in Tennessee. They didn’t speak to their mother any more than the young woman spoke to hers, so Bobby was the only family they had.

Hearing the door open shortly after she got home startled her into grabbing one of the butcher knives from the knife block in the kitchen. As far as she knew, she was supposed to be home alone, ’cuz Ash wasn’t supposed to be back till later that Eve. Without the Silver Fox planning on coming back just yet and knowing she was on her own, she was ready to fight to the Death, although she certainly hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“Jesus, Aerin!” the younger bassist gasped as he walked into the kitchen, just barely dodging a lethal blow.

“I think that’s my line, just with a name Change,” Aerin laughed, her tone relieved as he realized who it was.

“The hell’s with turning one of my own knives on me?” he asked, now able to chuckle as they both Calmed down.

“I just dropped Bobby off at the airport, and I wasn’t expecting ya back till later on,” the young woman answered.

_“Ahhhh,_ and I startled ya by coming home early,” Ash chuckled.

“Well, yeah,” she said. “I mean, I’m on my own when you’re gone and he’s in Florida or headed there–being pregnant just makes me even more jumpy.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t exactly planning on coming home till this Eve,” the younger bassist admitted. “But I just got my brains blown up, so I’m no good at the office right now.”

“Oh, really–and just how’d ya get your brains blown up?” Aerin asked curiously.

“I just got called into my manager’s office at the label like a kid in school getting called to the principal’s office,” he chuckled. “Needless to say, I wasn’t expecting Poison and their manager to be there with him.”

“Damn, that was quick,” she laughed.

Cocking a brow, Ash asked her what she meant by that, which just made her grin as she moved to grab a snack. She told him about the phone call the Night previous, and how Rikki’d suggested offering the open spot to him before they tried auditioning anyone else. Everyone’d agreed then that that was a good idea, ’cuz he loved their Music and it’d at least get them through till they found someone else to replace Bobby, if that still Ended up happening.

The young woman just hadn’t thought they’d jump on it the very next Day, especially by flying out East to meet with him in person. She figured he’d have gotten a phone call from his manager with them and their own manager to merge in a conference call to discuss it. By showing up in Nashville to talk about it face-to-face, they were obviously more serious about it than she’d originally thought.

“I mean, we weren’t even sure they were actually gonna do it,” Aerin told him. “We just thought they’d spend the next week thinking it over or something.”

“Well, apparently they’re pretty damn serious,” he responded. “’Cuz they sure shocked the shit outta me with this lil pow-wow today.”

“Now I’m kinda curious as to what you’re gonna do about it,” the young woman admitted.

“Take my Time thinking it over,” Ash laughed. “I mean, it was more than a bit of a surprise to be offered an opportunity like this by one of the bands I grew up on, but didn’t exactly grow to really love till well after I was grown.”

“Yeah, I know whatcha mean,” she told him. “I grew up on them, too, but didn’t love them nearly as much as I do now till I was twenty-five.”

“Now imagine being asked to take their bassist’s place, if only as a touring musician,” he chuckled.

“I can imagine it being an ass-hair shy of heart-stopping,” Aerin said.

“In more ways than one,” the younger bassist agreed.

Ash told her that honestly, while he loved Mötley Crüe and was heavily-Influenced by them, his style actually wasn’t quite as Dark as it seemed in his works with Black Veil Brides. They tended to lean a bit toward the Lighter, simpler side like Bobby’s obviously did, but he’d been forced into a heavier, more complicated style ’cuz of the rest of the band’s styles. He’d loved his ten Years with them, but it’d gotten unbearable to all but force himself to play like that on album after album, which was part of the reason why he’d ultimately parted ways with them.

She was all but ecstatic to hear him say that he was seriously thinking about taking the rest of Poison up on their offer and seeing how it went. It might be a bit hard for him to cover the older bassist’s backing vocals–especially his lead-ins and infamous one-liner from _Your Mama Don’t Dance_ –but he could certainly give it a shot.

Overall, he couldn’t see where it’d necessarily be a bad thing altogether since there weren’t any plans of writing new material yet. Sure, decades worth of Poison fans were no doubt to be unhappy about Bobby quitting and being replaced by a much younger guy they prolly hadn’t heard of. At the End of the Day, though, while they wanted to please the fans as much as they could, all of them understood that it was the band that needed to be pleased with the decision they came to the most.


	6. Six

The next few weeks were more than a lil crazy, what with everything that was going on all combined at once. Aerin was often more short-tempered than normal, what with being so hormonal and tired due to her pregnancy. She tried not to take it out on anyone else, but that wasn’t always the easiest thing for her to manage, so they didn’t hold it against her when she did.

Bobby was also more tired–for a highly-active Scorpio, that is–and short-tempered from packing up his entire Life, moving it to Nashville, and starting the process of unpacking. Not only did he’ve those things to deal with, but once he got up to Tennessee with a couple U-hauls and his kids, he’d to worry about getting his old house on the market again. He could still afford to keep it, if he’d wanted to, but he didn’t see himself Returning to Florida aside from a Future tour, if he ever chose to reunite with Poison once the twins were born and a few Years old.

On top of all that, Ash was still thinking long and hard about taking Poison up on their offer in between working on his solo Music and clothing line, not to mention helping his friends. He hadn’t been kidding about wanting to take his Time, and not just so he could help Aerin move outta his house and into the Silver Fox’s new one a few miles away. Joining an already-established band was never something to take lightly, whether they’d been around for a decade or more than four.

“And you’re still planning on handfasting down in Florida?” he was asking the young woman as they worked on unpacking a few boxes while Bobby was napping.

“Yeah, we’re still planning on that,” Aerin answered with a nod. “Prolly gonna be something impromptu when he goes down to finish up the closing on his house in Miami.”

“I don’t think there’s a damn thing about the two of ya that’s predictable or planned,” the younger bassist laughed softly.

“Seriously,” she agreed with a giggle. “I mean, we never even planned on meeting each other–getting together and finding out I’m pregnant, and with twins at that, certainly wasn’t in either of our Tarot cards, as far as I know.”

“Well, sometimes the impromptu and unpredictable stuff’s the best,” Ash told her. “God knows it’s all working out for everyone involved–or at least, it seems to be.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely true,” the young woman admitted. “Things could certainly be a lot worse.”

Moments later, they heard a grunt followed by a pleasured groan from the couple’s living room, which told them that Bobby was up from his nap. He’d no doubt sat his recliner up, which’d explained the grunt, and popping his back’d explain the groan that’d followed it. Therefore, they weren’t surprised when he shuffled into the kitchen, where they were unpacking dishes and finding the best places to store them.

The older bassist chuckled as he leaned down to kiss his _fiancé,_ who hummed happily as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He could already feel a slight bulge to her belly where it pressed against him, even though she was just three months along, give or take. Just like she did, though, he took that as a good thing since that meant their babies were healthy and growing like they should be.

After breaking their kiss, he moved to start rummaging through what they’d unpacked since food had been the first set of boxes they’d come to. He might not be awake enough to help unpack just yet, but he could at least get a mess of linguine started since it was getting later in the afternoon. Waiting for the Water to start boiling’d give him Time to wake up enough to pay attention to measuring out herbs and spices, and browning meat wasn’t that hard. He’d done that latter part plenty of Times when he was sleep deprived due to having young children who couldn’t cook, but were clamoring for food.

“Woke up starving, huh?” the younger bassist chuckled.

“Skipped breakfast this Morn,” Bobby yawned. “And I only took a lunch break from unpacking ’cuz Aerin threatened to tie me down and force-feed me, if I didn’t when she needed to.”

“That sounds like her!” he agreed with a laugh.

“And damn well, I’d do it, too,” the young woman giggled. “Then again, he’d prolly be in for more than he bargained for, if I did that right now.”

“Ugh, I don’t need to know about y’all’s sex Life!” Ash laughed. “I think I know enough by knowing you’re pregnant with his twins!”

“Only ’cuz you’ve never been hit with _Sex magick,_ Intentionally or accidentally,” she teased him.

“Do I even wanna know?” the younger bassist asked.

“Oh, fuck me–I _love it_ when she does that,” his older counterpart groaned, his eyes rolling back at the remembered pleasure.

“Damn, really?” Ash asked, looking surprised.

“Kid, I’ve needed Viagra occasionally for the last fifteen Years,” he chuckled. “Let her get started on her sensation play, especially if it’s mixed with _Sex magick,_ and it’s like I’m fifteen again.”

_“Day-um!”_ he laughed. “Sounds like something I need every know and again, and I’m not quite forty yet!”

“Only if ya can take the high and drop of a scene on steroids,” Aerin warned him. “’Cuz that’s pretty much what _Sex magick’ll_ do to ya–and why I don’t use it on even him very often, if I can help it.”

The younger bassist was certainly curious as they continued to unpack, Bobby working on food and keeping up with the conversation at hand. Even after the couple’d gotten together, they’d remained play partners due to their mutual interest in BDSM, but lack of Trust with most everyone else. In all the Time they’d known and played with each other, they’d never actually gone as far as having sex, so she hadn’t been able to hit him with that particular form of magick.

Ash listened as she explained to him that _Sex magick_ was pretty much the strongest form of magick in existence–stronger than even _Blood magick_ when done in a non-sacrificial sense. It wasn’t to be used by Beginners by any means, but there were Times that she couldn’t help it, if she slipped into subspace during the act of sex.

Due to the Power that was wielded, it could effect both partners when it was released in what amounted to a magickal orgasm at the same Time as the physical one. That was why she’d to be so careful about hitting Bobby with it, if and when she could help it, lest she overload him in more ways than one. After all, he was a lot older than her, so she didn’t wanna give him a heart attack or anything–although going out in the throes of sex’d certainly be a lot better than with his guts hanging outta his ass. Neither of the bassists could help cracking up when she admitted that, although the older one agreed that he’d rather not wind up in his grave just yet.

It wasn’t long afterward that lunch was ready, not to mention that Zach and Zoe decided to follow their noses to the kitchen. Aerin deemed it a better idea to shut up and continue their conversation at a later Time, knowing damn good and well they didn’t know half the shit their dad got up to. Not only that, but like most other folks, they didn’t wanna know what their parents did behind closed doors, whether they did those things together or with totally different partners.

“So, how’re y’all liking it up here in Tennessee?” Ash asked, looking at the older bassist as much as his kids.

“It’s definitely not the Beach,” Zach chuckled, twirling up a bite.

“Zach, we’re not in Florida anymore!” his sister laughed, mocking the infamous line from _The Wizard of Oz_.

“Gee, Dorothy–I hadn’t noticed,” he snickered, his grin letting her know he’d caught on.

“Yeah, it’s certainly not the Beach,” the younger bassist agreed. “That’s one thing I’ll admit that I miss about living in So Cal.”

“Really? Butcha seem so happy out here,” Zoe told him.

“And I am,” he admitted. “I’m a lot closer to home than I was out there, so it’s not as hard to see the family I’ve still got, but I miss things like going surfing.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Bobby agreed with a nod. “I used to do a lotta surfing during my off-Time, and I still did once I moved to Florida.”

“Well, till you’d your back surgery,” his son reminded him.

“True enough, ’cuz even skiing can aggravate that now,” the older bassist said. “But I still don’t let that stop me any more than I have to.”

“But there’s still a lotta good things to living in Tennessee,” Ash told them. “Get into something like horseback riding like I am, and you’ll find a lotta shit to get into that won’t involve becoming a serial killer.”

The entire group cracked up before Zach said anything else. “I think we’ll have plenty to do, if we’re helping Dad and Aerin set up nurseries and take care of babies in a few months.”

The older bassist wagged his fork at his son, reminding him that he wasn’t the one at fault for having two babies on the way, so it technically wasn’t his Responsibility. Just like the stubborn young man he was, he shot back that it might not be his Responsibility, but he was still gonna help him as much as he could, and Zoe agreed. Whether he and the young woman asked for the help or not, they were gonna get it so they’d have more Time to spend with each other, and just sleep.

Ash chuckled as he said even he’d be willing to help out as much as he could, whether he took the rest of Poison up on their offer or not. The young woman was like the baby sister he’d never had, albeit in a very twisted way, and he couldn’t imagine not helping with any sibling’s children. He’d helped with his baby cousins growing up, so he didn’t really look at it any differently than his childhood.

Seeing that he wasn’t gonna win this fight, of sorts, Bobby simply chuckled and rolled his eyes and said that he’d take the extra help, if they really wanted to. Even his _fiancé_ agreed, having done enough babysitting to know that even one baby’d tax them–two at once’d just tax them even more. They weren’t ones to ask for help, but they certainly wouldn’t turn it down, if it was offered and the ones making the offer were absolutely sure.

“So, have ya made a decision on taking Poison up on their offer?” Zach asked, looking at the younger bassist.

“I’m definitely closer to it than I was,” he answered, nodding. “I mean, I love being able to do my solo work, but it hasn’t really done well enough to bother with a tour–and that’s one part of being a musician that I miss.”

“Trust me, I know the feeling,” Bobby chuckled. “Poison’s gone so long between tours before that I honestly thought we’d never have another one a few Times.”

“And since I’ve no Intention of _ever_ reuniting with BVB, I don’t see any reason _not_ to join Forces with the remains of Poison,” the younger bassist said. “It might not be exactly what I wanna do, but who knows? Maybe the fans’ll be accepting enough that we’ll eventually start writing new material that features me like they once did with Richie and Blues.”

“There’s definitely the possibility,” Aerin agreed with a nod. “Unfortunately, my Crystal ball ain’t working today, so I can’t say if that’s actually gonna happen.”

Everyone laughed, loving when she cracked a Pagan joke since she always did it in a way that didn’t really step on the toes of anyone who identified as even Christian.

“Now I’m kinda curious about whether ya two’ve thought about names yet,” Ash admitted, grinning at the couple.

“Not really,” the older bassist answered. “She’s vetoed Barbie and Ken as much as my ex-wife did with those two.” He smirked as he pointed at his older kids.

“That’s ’cuz we’re not a toy company!” she fired back with a laugh. “Shit, we’re gonna be spending enough money on toys as they age–we don’t need to _name ’em_ after toys, too!”

Once again, everyone cracked up so hard that Zoe actually shot part of her Pepsi outta her nose in an attempt to avoid choking on it. Bobby managed to reach over and rub her back as she coughed, his _fiancé_ reaching out with paper towels to clean up the mess now on the counter. When they all Calmed down, they finally got back to the topic at hand, and they were surprised by what the young woman said as her next statement.

Even though she didn’t normally like doing such a thing–even for the characters in her stories–she was highly considering continuing the naming trend started by the older bassist’s ex-wife. Normally, she preferred that siblings have names that were totally unrelated as a way of giving them a sense of individuality, but she’d a couple ideas in mind.

All ears were on her as she stated the ideas she’d gotten from a couple Dreams she’d had, and her _fiancé_ couldn’t help his eyes widening. Zeppelin Bentley was certainly a name they weren’t likely to hear anywhere else, and tied into his being a rock star quite nicely. Not only that, but it’d a bit of a Southern flare to it, which was befitting a boy born and raised in the South. Her other idea so far was Zeta Bailey, which also had a bit of a Southern flare in its own right and tied back to a celebrity. She wouldn’t say she was a huge Catherine Zeta-Jones fan by any means, but one of her favorite animated movies was _Sinbad,_ where the actress’d been the voice of the character Marina.

Since Bobby hadn’t had any ideas pop into mind and she seemed to have a knack for picking names, he agreed that those were certainly two possibilities. He still said they needed to pick two more, just in case they wound up having two boys or two girls instead of one of each. Aerin was quick to agree with that, knowing it was only logical to plan for just about anything that could be thrown at them. However, they still had plenty of Time to manage such a thing since the babies wouldn’t be born till July at the earliest, and they’d find out genders long before then.


	7. Seven

Another month passed, and by the Time Bobby’d closed on the sale of his home down in Miami, his _fiancé_ was definitely visibly pregnant. While she wasn’t showing very much, despite her petite frame, she was still showing a hair more than his ex-wife had at the same stage of pregnancy. Then again, with two buns in the oven instead of one, he supposed that was only Natural, and it didn’t make her any less attractive to him.

In fact, it made her so attractive to him that he couldn’t keep his hands off her, no matter what he tried short of having them tied behind his back. That being said, it wasn’t any surprise that she insisted on staying with Ash at his hotel room the Night before their handfasting was to take place. Not only did she not want him seeing what she was gonna be wearing–which was typical, as per the Age-old Tradition–but she didn’t wanna be worn out and sore during the ceremony or afterward. Aggravating though it was–especially for his libido–he’d acquiesced rather quickly, if only so he wouldn’t have to deal with a pissed-off, hormonal woman later.

But on the Morn they were to be handfasted, the bassist couldn’t help a bit of Anxiety on his part as he got ready. Sure, he’d been married once before, so he was no stranger to trading vows and rings–but he’d never even seen a handfasting, let alone participated in one. Not only that, but he supposed he’d have still been nervous, even if they _were_ getting married in a legal sense.

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves–not to mention his shaking hands–he got ready to head out to the Beach they Intended the ceremony to be on. Since they hadn’t invited very many people, Bret was serving as his best man, just as he’d done when he’d married his ex-wife back in 1989. Aidan’d flown back down when Aerin’d asked her to be her Maid of Honor, so there was two witnesses right there. His kids were playing the role of flower girl and ring bearer, and they’d been surprised by the Beauty, yet simplicity of the wedding bands he’d picked out.

“Ya ready for this, Dad?” Zach asked as he got ready to take his place.

“More than, but I still can’t help being nervous,” the older bassist answered, nodding as he tugged at his shirt collar.

“Aerin said to give this to ya, although I’m not too sure why,” his daughter said, pressing something into his palm.

Looking down, he saw what he thought was a familiar black sachet and pulled open its lil drawstrings, smiling as he took in what it contained. “I know why, baby girl.”

“Really–what’s in it?” Zoe asked curiously.

Holding out his left palm, he dumped the contents into it, and they were surprised to see several different tumbled Stones. “Part of her collection, ’cuz she knew this particular blend would be like a chill pill for me.”

“Why these, though?” his son asked, the rest of his now-former band gathering close, too.

“Amethyst’s used for Love, inner Peace, Protection–particularly psychic Protection–and tons of other things,” Bobby explained, pointing out the purple Stone that easily filled a third of his palm by itself.

“What about this other lil purple one?” the drummer asked.

“Auralite’s good for Calming, dissolving worries, Anxiety–that kinda shit,” he answered. “This Metallic-looking black one’s Hematite, which’s good for Protection, Calming, stress, and other things along those lines.”

“What about that huge black one? Damn thing looks like it’s the size of that Amethyst chunk,” CC said.

The older bassist laughed as he said that Jet was another good one for Protection, and it also absorbed negativity like any other black Stone. The tiny blue one that’d a few white areas next to the Jet was something Aerin called Larimar, and no doubt she’d given it to him for its positive Energy. Next, he pointed out the chunk of Moonstone, saying it was another one that was good for stress, Love, Protection, Calming, and even Change–and if handfasting wasn’t a big enough Change to warrant it, he didn’t know what was.

After that was the pink Stone that was about the same size as the Amethyst, which he said was Morganite. In addition to being good for Love, Compassion, Self-Control, and Patience, it was good for Balancing Emotions and easing the pain of separation. They might not be separated for very long, but he still didn’t like being without his Lady for very long these Days, if he could help it.

Bobby then pointed out another white Stone, which he said was a chunk of Opal, despite it not looking like the Opal most’d seen in jewelry. Like the Moonstone, it was good for Change, particularly the process of it, which was no doubt why she’d picked it for this blend. His _fiancé’d_ known he could use Stones that helped with those things today, and she no doubt had her own specialized blend on her wherever she was as she got ready.

“They’re pretty much all used in Healing, too,” he added, dumping them back into the sachet so he could tie it up again.

“Sounds like she really knows her shit,” Bret mused.

“Well, she’s a Witch that’s been into Crystal Healing for a few Years now,” the older bassist chuckled. “Even if she’s still a lot left to learn, I should hope she knows the basics of whatever Craft she chooses to partake in by now.”

“Fair enough,” the guitarist laughed, then looked down toward the End of the red runner they’d stretched out across the Sand. “Looks like she’s ready to go, judging by Aidan waving to get our attention.”

Nodding, he stepped back next to the High Priest and Priestess of a local Coven that Aerin’d gotten in touch with. They’d graciously agreed to officiate their handfasting since they were so far from home, not to mention the young woman being a Solitary Witch. Rikki and CC took their seats in a couple of the few chairs set up, Bret heading for the Beginning of the runner to walk Aidan up it. Zach and Zoe headed for it with him so they could fill their roles, and he took another deep breath as he dropped the sachet he’d been given into his pocket. It was now or never, and he honestly couldn’t wait so he could consider himself a married man again–even if they weren’t legally married.

Behind the set of Palm Trees where she waited, Aerin took a couple deep breaths of her own and let the Energy of the Stones in the pocket–which she’d to add to her dress, herself–seep into her. She was so excited where she stood next to Ash, who was to give her away since he’d claimed her as his baby sister and she’d no one else to fill that role. After all, she hadn’t spoken to her blood–albeit half–brother in Years, so he obviously wasn’t gonna be filling that role today.

Zach and Zoe started up the runner together, the younger woman grinning as she tossed her basketful of Rose and Tiger Lily petals as she went. Her brother couldn’t help a smile of his own as he carried a small pillow, careful to go slowly so he wouldn’t drop it as he walked. If there was anything their dad would kill him for, it was being clumsy enough to lose the rings he’d been entrusted with.

After they’d taken their places to either side of where the groom awaited his bride before the High Priest and Priestess, Bret started down the aisle with Aidan. The young ginger looked a bit of a sight on the older blonde’s arm, but they’d been chosen as the best man and Maid of Honor, after all. Even if this wasn’t a typical wedding ceremony, they’d wanted it to be as close to one as they could get, and certain roles needed to be filled. It was those closest to them that they’d chosen to fill those roles, which was perfectly understandable to the few others who’d been invited to watch the handfasting as it unfolded.

Once those two’d reached and taken their places on Zach’s and Zoe’s other sides, it was finally her turn, and the young woman took yet another deep breath. Gently grabbing Ash’s elbow when he offered his arm, she cradled her bouquet of crimson Roses and Tiger Lilies in her other arm. She knew her _fiancé_ was gonna be surprised by the dress she was wearing–a transparent, Dark gray halter dress that appeared almost black due to its pale purple lining and was just tight enough to show off her small baby bump without being uncomfortable.

“Sweetheart, ya look gorgeous,” Bobby murmured once they’d made it to the End of the aisle and the younger bassist’d handed her over.

She couldn’t help a becoming blush, which just appeared to make her glow even more than her pregnancy did by itself.

“Treat her right, and for the Love of the Deities, don’t make me bust out my boom-stick on ya,” the younger bassist warned him with a chuckle.

“I don’t think we’ll have a problem there,” he laughed as he took her hand, his daughter now holding her bouquet.

“Dear friends, we’re gathered here today before the God and Goddess to celebrate the holy union of this man and this woman, which’s entrusted to be Honorable among all men, ’cuz marriage’s one of their most sacred Wishes,” the High Priest–who was using his Craft name of Outlaw Dragonblood–said as he Began the opening rites.

“Marriage isn’t to be entered into rashly, but reverently, advisedly and solemnly–it’s the union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind,” his wife–who was using her own Craft name of Gypsi Sirensong–continued. “Intended for their mutual Joy in Times of Prosperity, as well as in Times of adversity, it’s a means through which a stable and loving environment may be fell upon.”

“Through marriage, they pledge together to face their disappointments, embrace their Dreams, realize their Hopes, and accept each other’s failures,” Outlaw stated. “Through mutual Understanding, openness, and sensitivity to each other, Robert and Aerin’ll promise one another to aspire to these ideals throughout their Lives.”

“This occasion marks the celebration of Love and Dedication with which they Begin their Life together–through us, the God and Goddess join ya together in one of the holiest of bonds.”

They looked from the couple to the small congregation. “Who gives this woman in marriage to this man?”

“As her adopted brother, that’d be me,” Ash said as he rose from his seat for a moment.

Nodding, the High Priest and Priestess turned their attention back to the couple, no one in the small crowd noticing a lone face behind them that was watching the proceedings.

“Today’s a New Beginning and a continuation of their Growth as individuals,” Outlaw told them. “With mutual care, Respect, Responsibility, and Knowledge comes the affirmation of each one’s own Life Happiness, Growth, and Freedom. With Respect for individual boundaries comes the Freedom to love unconditionally–with care and Responsibility towards Self and one another comes the potential for full and happy Lives.”

“By gathering together all the Wishes of Happiness and fondest Hopes from all present here, we assure Robert and Aerin that our hearts’re in tune with theirs,” Gypsi continued, pretending not to finally notice that lone, uninvited face. “These moments’re so meaningful to all of us, for what greater thing’s there for two human Souls, than to feel that they’re joined together, to Strengthen each other in all labor, to minister to each other in all Sorrow, to share with each other in all gladness...”

Bobby was finding it a bit hard to pay attention, just like he had during his first wedding, if only ’cuz his attention was focused on his bride as they held hands, their wrists crossed.

“Marriage’s more than simply a legal contract–it’s a Spiritual commitment, an act of Faith, as well as a physical union between two people,” the High Priestess continued.

“It’s a moral commitment that requires daily attention–it’s the best and most important relationship that can exist,” her husband stated as he, too, noticed that lone, uninvited face at the back of the crowd. “Marriage’s a Lifelong Consecration of the ideal of loving kindness, backed by the Will to make it last...”

Aerin couldn’t help a sniffle as she listened, her smile only growing wider as she suddenly felt something she hadn’t expected to feel for a while longer.

“Robert and Aerin’ve some special words they Wish to share with each other today,” Outlaw stated, drawing their full attention back to him. “Robert?”

The older bassist cleared his throat as he looked his bride in the eye. “What’ve I to give ya, Aerin?” he asked with a smile. “The promise to take ya as my only Love from this Day forth, the promise to be the shoulder ya lean on, the rock on which ya rest, your companion for Life. Time’ll pass–Fortune’ll smile upon us. Trials may fall on us–but no matter what lies ahead, I vow here that your Love’ll be my _only_ Love.”

Pausing, he took a deep breath and hoped he got the pronunciation of this next part right. _“Bambina, ti amo. Non potrei vivere senza di te più facile di quanto potrei vivere senza respirare, perché significhi tutto per me.”_

The young woman couldn’t help a surprised gasp, tears slipping down her cheeks as she understood his every word for exactly what they were.

“Ya stole my heart the Day we met, and as freely as the God and Goddess’ve given me Life, I join myself to ya for the rest of our Lives,” Bobby continued. “I take _you_ as my wife, and will give myself to no other.”

She didn’t even bother trying to wipe away her tears as Gypsi turned her attention to her, indicating that it was now her turn.

“Today Bobby, our Lives become one. I join ya not merely as your wife, but as your friend, your lover, and your confidant–I promise to supportcha, to listen when ya speak, to console ya in Times of Sorrow, to laugh when _you_ laugh,” the young woman said. “Wherever ya go, I’ll follow–whatever hardships ya face, we’ll face together. You’re my Destiny, and together we’ll walk the Path set before us. With a free and unconstrained Soul, I give ya all that I am and all that I’m to become–and hereto, I pledge my Faithfulness only unto _you.”_

The entire Time they’d been speaking, the High Priest and Priestess’d been working together to wrap a set of braided scarves around their hands and wrists.

“Robert, do ya–here in the presence of these witnesses–declare your commitment to Aerin and choose her as the one with whom ya Wish to spend the rest of your Earthly Life?” Outlaw asked, readying himself to help his wife tie the binding knot in the scarves. “Do ya pledge to endure all of the difficulties which Life may offer, even as ya look forward to sharing the Joys to be experienced together?”

“I do,” the older bassist answered with a nod.

“Aerin, do ya–here in the presence of these witnesses–declare your commitment to Robert and choose him as the one with whom ya Wish to spend the rest of your Earthly Life?” Gypsi asked, Beginning to tie that binding knot with her husband’s help. “Do ya pledge to endure all of the difficulties which Life may offer even, as ya look forward to sharing the Joys to be experienced together?”

“I do,” Aerin answered with a nod of her own.

“What tokens of your commitment do ya offer?” they asked.

Zach stepped forward from his place next to Bret with the rings.

“Would ya place the rings in our hands?” The High Priest and Priestess held the rings up high for all to see as he resumed his previous position. “May these rings be Blessed as the symbol of this affectionate unity,” they said in unison. “Let us pray.”

Every head in the small crowd–even the one behind it–bowed simultaneously.

“Oh, Mother and Father, these two Lives’re now joined in one unbroken Circle–wherever they go, may they always Return to one another,” Outlaw and Gypsi said, their voices blending in perfect Harmony. “May they find in each other the Love for which all men and women yearn–may they grow in Understanding and in Compassion. May the home–which they establish together–be such a place that many’ll find there a friend, and may these rings on their fingers symbolize the touch of the Spirit of Love in their hearts. In the name of the Maiden, the Mother, the Crone, the Father, the Son, and the Sage, we pray. As above, so below–as we Will it, so mote it be.”

“So mote it be,” the small crowd echoed as they lifted their heads.

“Robert, in placing this ring on Aerin’s finger, you’re now Consecrated as man and wife from this Day forth,” Outlaw said. “What vow’ve ya for her?”

“Take this ring and with it, my promise of Faith, Patience, and Love for the rest of my Life,” Bobby said, using the dexterity that came from decades of playing strings to slip her wedding band over her fingertip, despite their hands and wrists being bound. “I’ve chosen _you_ to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this Day forth–for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in Health, to have and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.”

“Aerin, in placing this ring on Robert’s finger, you’re now Consecrated as man and wife from this Day forth,” Gypsi stated. “What vow’ve ya for him?”

“Take this ring and with it, my promise of Faith, Patience, and Love for the rest of my Life,” Aerin said, easily slipping his wedding band over his fingertip. “I’ve chosen _you_ to be my husband, to have and to hold, from this Day forth–for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in Health, to have and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.”

The High Priest and Priestess couldn’t help a grin as they prepared for the next part, which the couple’d specifically asked them to do to inject a bit of humor into something normally so solemn, if happy.

“Do ya, Robert, promise to love Aerin forever and ever, if you’re sick or healthy, famous or shunned, through Murphy’s Law?” he asked, his attention on the groom.

“With her knee in perfect striking range while literally bound together, I’d be an idiot to say no!” Bobby laughed.

The entirety of the small crowd cracked up, and they’d to wait for everyone to settle down before they could continue.

“Do ya, Aerin, promise to love Robert forever and ever, if you’re sick or healthy, famous or shunned, through Murphy’s Law?” Gypsi asked as she watched the bride’s face.

“Bring it on, Murphy–and don’t forget to bring your cousin, Chaos, and her best friend, Karma with ya!” Aerin answered, making the crowd laugh again.

“The God said from the Beginning of Creation, the Goddess made them male and female,” the High Priest said as he Began the closing rites.

“For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one–so they’re no longer two, but one flesh,” his wife stated. “Therefore, what the God and Goddess hath joined together, let no one separate.”

“Now you’ll feel no pain, for each of you’ll be shelter to the other–now you’ll feel no cold, for each of you’ll be warmth to the other,” Outlaw and Gypsi said in unison. “Now there’s no loneliness for ya, for each of you’ll be companion to the other–now you’re two persons, but there’s one Life before ya.”

“Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the Days of your togetherness–and may your Days be good and long upon this Earth,” he continued by himself.

“And so by the power vested in us by the almighty God and Goddess, we now pronounce ya man and wife,” Gypsi concluded. “Robert, ya may kiss your bride.”

Bobby didn’t hesitate by even half a second as he used their bound hands to pull her closer to him, leaning down as she rose on tiptoe to meet him for that kiss.

“Ladies and gentlemen, may we present to ya, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kuykendall?” the High Priest and Priestess asked with a grin, causing the crowd to cheer wildly.

As soon as they broke their kiss, the newly-handfasted couple grinned at each other before turning those grins on the crowd. Careful not to drag her too fast and cause her to trip, the groom started down the aisle with his new wife at his side, their hands still bound as they headed off. The entire crowd laughed at the sight they made as they showered them with Bird seed, then made to follow once they’d reached the small parking lot of this particular public Beach.

Standing behind his car since they’d driven down for this particular trip to Florida, Bobby raised their hands to his face. Using his teeth, he started working that binding knot loose enough to free one of his hands, his bride laughing as he grinned while doing so. Once he’d that lone hand free, he simply untied the knot like a normal person, which freed both their hands.

The moment their hands were freed, he wrapped his arms around Aerin and gently pulled her against him, their fronts pressed as close together as they could get for being dressed. He’d never get enough of kissing her, and it was a memory he wanted imprinted on his brain till the Day he died. In fact, it was a memory he wanted to take into the Afterlife with him, and one he wanted her to be able to hold on to and savor till she eventually joined him. Maybe that was a bit morbid of a way to think for such a Joyous occasion, but there was still a Truth there that even the young woman couldn’t and wouldn’t deny, were he to say that aloud.

No one noticed the lone uninvited face still watching as the small crowd congratulated them, the happy couple laughing as she stowed their handfasting scarves in his glove box. In fact, no one noticed the owner of that face make to follow them as they all got into their cars so they could head off to a restaurant they’d chosen for their _reception_ before everyone else flew back home. Well, up to Tennessee in Aidan’s case, considering she’d no Intention of going home before getting some alone Time with her own man while she was further South.

If anyone’d noticed, they’d have warned the young bride and mama-to-be that she was about to get a blast from the Past, and the groom to separate the two women before things got ugly.


	8. Eight

At the cozy lil Italian restaurant they’d chosen to have their _reception_ at–which was actually the one Bobby’d just sold to a friend who’d been begging him to sell out for Years–the group gathered in a private dining area toward the back. This was the Space that was always reserved when folks were doing something like this, or throwing a bachelor or bachelorette party. It was big enough to comfortably seat up to thirty folks, but still small enough to make things decently intimate, even for smaller groups.

The groom took his place at the head of the table, his son settling at the foot since he wanted his new wife to be beside him. Aerin didn’t have any arguments against that–after all, this wasn’t the Victorian era where such a thing was all but required. She was more than willing to sit next to her man, especially with her reason for her grin only growing wider every few minutes.

Once everyone was settled, the older bassist kept his volume low enough to avoid disturbing other patrons–or letting their news get out–as he thanked the small group for coming today. The guys and their significant others, even their kids, were more than happy to’ve been invited and gotten to come to something so special. It was certainly different than any wedding ceremony they’d ever seen before, what with their hands being bound and the few more Pagan parts. Course, having it proceed the way most weddings did helped blend the two religious differences a bit more smoothly, too.

“So, what’s got the bride grinning like a fool up there?” CC asked with a grin of his own. “Besides having just wed, that is.”

The young woman couldn’t help her grin broadening again as she grabbed her new husband’s hand and pulled it closer to her.

“Wha–” he started to ask, cutting himself off as she pressed said hand to her belly. Bobby’s brow furrowed at first as he thought she was just doing like she did as she fell asleep–till he felt a distinct _thump_ against his palm that he hadn’t felt in literally decades. “Oh, my Gods.”

“What?” Bret asked, suddenly a bit worried about them.

“Yeah, what’s going on?” the drummer asked, his own expression equally worried.

“Either I’m high on something, or I just felt one of these boogers kick my hand!” Bobby laughed, gently rubbing the spot.

“Seriously?” This was asked by the frontman’s girl, Kristi. “I thought she wasn’t that far along yet.”

“Seriously,” he answered, grinning. “I remember what those lil _thumps_ against my palm felt like, even if it’s been Ages since I felt it.”

No one in the room could help a soft cheer, almost everyone wanting to see if they could feel the babies moving, too. Aerin didn’t have a problem with them touching her, but that was only ’cuz she’d gotten to know them well enough and had her man by her side. Otherwise, she’d have told them they weren’t touching her, especially when they coulda shoved a hand through her belly to try ripping her babies out too soon, for all she knew.

Rikki’s daughter, Lucy seemed to be the most enthralled once she felt another of those _thumps_ against her own lil palm. Her surprised look that preceded a soft squeal made everyone in the room laugh, as did her pout when her daddy made her reclaim her seat so they could eat as their food started coming outta the kitchen.

The young woman was ravenous as she caught a whiff of a familiar scent, her mouth watering so much that she was practically drooling as the linguine was dished out. She shot a look at Bobby, the quirk to her smile saying that she could kill him for giving out her mother’s recipe, but she understood why he’d done it. He wouldn’t have had the Time to make it himself today, and he woulda needed help to make enough to feed so many people at once. Outta options beyond that, he’d been forced to give it out so they could keep things moving along, rather than having to wait forever to eat.

“Oh, my God–this smells so good,” CC’s girlfriend, Shannon, said.

“Thank my mother,” the bride laughed. “She’s the one who taught me how to make it.”

“Wow, really?” the guitarist asked, surprised.

“She was more than a bit of a Kitchen Witch, as it were,” Aerin answered. “That woman could blow up a kitchen in all the best ways with pretty much anything she decided to make.”

“Well, if the scent of this is anything to judge by, I’ll agree with that,” Rikki told her.

“Just wait till ya taste it–you’ll be ready to take off your belt like it’s Turkey Day before ya even finish the first plate,” she retorted.

“Oh, God–looks like I’m hitting up the _Jiu-Jitsu_ studio when I get home!” the drummer cackled.

“I’d just make sure you’ve plenty of Tums on ya, if you’re prone to heartburn,” the young woman giggled. “It calls for a lotta Chili powder, as I recall.”

Everyone in the room cracked up again as Bobby pulled a roll outta his pocket and tossed it down the table to his son, Jude, who gladly handed it to him. They weren’t sure whether to be amused at him having come prepared for this part, or at the awesome catch the boy’d made from halfway down the table. It didn’t really matter as all their stomachs growled in anticipation, no one willing to waste anymore Time since they’d all gone with a light breakfast that Morn.

When Lucy and Jude both started fanning their tongues, the bride pulled one of the staff aside and surprised everybody when she opened her mouth. They hadn’t expected what sounded like Spanish to come outta it when she told the woman to bring them a couple kiddie cups of milk, which just made them look curiously confused.

However, the groom looked surprised ’cuz that clued him in to something he hadn’t suspected about his new wife. When he’d started speaking in tongues during his vows, it was a couple lines he’d gotten the manager of this place to teach him ’cuz he’d thought them too intimate to wanna say in English. Bobby hadn’t thought she’d understood him, despite the flood of tears that’d run down her face, but now he knew better. The young woman’d understood his every word–or at least, the basic gist of them–so she likely wouldn’t need a translation.

“So, what’s up with Bobby’s surprised look?” the drummer’s wife, TC, asked curiously.

“He didn’t look surprised till Aerin pulled that waitress aside a lil bit ago,” Bret told her, all eyes turning to the newly-handfasted couple.

“Just musing about how I didn’t think she was much of a linguist,” he answered honestly.

“’Cuz you’ve only heard me speak English, love,” the young woman laughed.

“Wait, ya really know Italian?” Bobby asked, sounding even more surprised than he’d looked before.

_“Un piccolo,”_ she answered, holding her thumb and forefinger about an inch apart as she grinned at him.

“So…ya understood what I said during my vows?” The bassist was genuinely curious about that.

_“Ogni ultima parola, mio dagli occhi marroni Volpe,”_ Aerin giggled, knowing he oughta catch the basic gist of what she’d said.

“Okay, that sounded like ya know a lil more Italian than you’re admitting to!” he laughed. “’Cuz I didn’t catch a lick of that!”

“I said, _Every last word, my brown-eyed Fox,”_ the young woman translated with a laugh.

“All right, now we gotta know,” CC said. “What’d he say during his vows that made ya spring a leak like that?”

Neither of the couple wanted to admit what he’d said, both their faces turning pink as they clamped their mouths shut.

“He said, _Baby, I love you. I couldn’t live withoutcha any easier than I could live without breathing, ’cuz ya mean everything to me.”_

Looking toward the doorway of the private dining room, Aerin felt her face pale as she realized who was standing there–and suddenly felt threatened. She couldn’t help an almost inaudible whimper only those sitting right next to her could hear as she pulled her knees up as close to her torso as she could get them, curling around her unborn babies protectively. Part of her’d suspected the Day this kinda thing happened would come eventually, but another part of her’d hoped that it wouldn’t, especially after meeting and starting to date her now-husband.

Said husband was disturbed by how dangerously she paled, but he could also feel the Change in her Energy like no one else could. Bobby knew she was torn between fleeing like a Deer being hunted and standing her ground, and that was only ’cuz she was pregnant. He shot the intruding woman–whom he noted looked eerily similar to his new wife–a dirty look as he rubbed the young woman’s back.

“Who the hell’re you, and how’d ya get in here?” Rikki demanded as he rose from his seat.

Even Bret, CC, and Ash rose from their own, ready to mop the floor with her before they threw her out the front door.

“Answer the question, lady,” the younger bassist growled. “You’re upsetting my sister, and that’s the last thing she needs right now–especially on such a happy Day.”

The middle-aged party crasher didn’t say a word, just kept her hazel gaze pinned on the bride.

“Aerin, sweetheart–who the hell is she?” her new husband asked, even though he already had a suspicion.

Taking a deep breath, Aerin surprised the entire small group. “That’s my bitch of a mother.”

There wasn’t a Soul in the room who _didn’t_ gasp, although the kids were gasping more so at her use of foul language than anything.

“You’re not supposed to say bad words,” Lucy gently reprimanded her.

“And normally, I don’t in front of kiddos like you,” she told her. “But when it comes to my mother–trust me when I say that I’d like to say far worse, so I’m already refraining just by sticking to that.”

Everyone looked even more surprised, and she doubted they could do anything but pass out from the shock when she opened her mouth again.

_“Non so che fottere vuoi, ma non sei il benvenuto qui,”_ the young woman snapped, her attention on their uninvited guest. _“Succhiami il dado sinistro o esci.”_

“I just wanted to talk to ya,” Kat sighed. “Especially when I stumbled across your handfasting while I was taking a walk on the Beach and realized it really _was_ you.”

“Yeah, well–I’ve nothing left to say to ya any more than the Day I left North Carolina,” she retorted coldly. “It’s been over two Years, and ya never once tried to get in touch with me–even with a PI as a family friend that coulda tracked me down.”

Her mother’s eyes widened in surprise, like she hadn’t even thought of doing that.

“I’ve made a far better Life for myself, even if I’m not fulfilling _your_ Dream of making a fortune of my own instead of relying on somebody else,” she continued. “I don’t need you, of all people, fuckin’ that up for me–especially not by holding out your own hand like it’s my money to just throw away and I owe ya anything.”

“Well, technically, ya _do_ owe me,” the older woman told her.

“I’m not the one who ran up your credit card balance on a Dog that was obviously at Death’s door, and I tried to get a job again as quick as I could,” the young woman snapped. “You’re the one who was being greedy and didn’t even _try_ to understand anything I told ya!”

Kat started to say something else, which just made her jump up outta her chair with a hand held up to stop her.

“Ya know what?” she said, moving to push her chair in. _“Fanculo questa merda_ –I told ya whatcha could do already, and I meant it.”

Bobby jumped up from his own seat, choosing to abandon what lil was left of his meal in favor of chasing down his wayward, obviously-upset bride. He knew she didn’t generally didn’t do anything rash, but he was still worried about her, and with good reason. She obviously wasn’t very clear-headed from her Past coming back to haunt her–and with her entire World as witnesses–and he didn’t want anything happening to her or their babies.

Outside the building, he found her rummaging through his car, both surprised and not when she straightened with a pack of smokes in her hand. Aerin’d quit smoking at the very Beginning of her pregnancy, saying that even a single cigarette’s worth of nicotine made her too nauseous. Clearly, she was a lot more upset than he’d thought, if she was giving in to her old vice, despite having precious cargo on board. He certainly hoped she wouldn’t keep smoking before the twins were born, that this was just a one-Time relapse, but that was the thing with addicts–one never knew what they’d do.

The bassist gently grabbed his wife, startled to note that she was shaking like a leaf as she lit the smoke she’d pulled out. It was rare that she got to shaking like this aside from when she was cold, or had been vomiting so hard, she nearly blacked out. While he’d been sure she was upset before, this just proved it to him–she was a loose cannon struggling to Calm down right now.

He simply held her as tight as he dared, unsurprised to feel tears drop down on what lil of his forearms were exposed by the sleeves of his shirt being pushed up. At least the young woman seemed to relax a bit and melt into his embrace as he did exactly as he’d promised to do in his vows–be the rock she leaned on when she needed to. The quicker she Calmed down, the better it’d be for her and the twins both, and that was the reason he kept his mouth shut. His Intent was to show that he supported her in every way possible, not upset her further when that’d only be detrimental to even him, if she decided to lash out at him instead.


	9. Nine

“Do we wanna know whatcha said to her before ya tore outta here?”

Aerin wasn’t surprised to look up from her feet, her new husband escorting her back to their _reception_ after she’d Calmed down a bit, to see all the concerned looks. She’d have prolly be concerned about herself, too, if she’d been one of the outside parties that watched her tear outta the restaurant like the Hounds of Hell were on her heels. Knowing they’d to’ve seen the older bassist chase after her was prolly just as concerning to them, even now that they were back.

“Not fit for lil ears,” she answered Bret, who’d been the one to ask. “Whyddaya think I said it in Italian since I was being quite the potty mouth?”

“Prolly better for ya to just translate it later, then,” Rikki told her. “And if ya can’t before we all leave, then just tell Bobby so he can text it to us or something.”

“I think we’d all rather the kiddos _not_ pick up any filthy language, if we can help it,” the drummer’s wife agreed.

“As if they won’t, just ’cuz of who their daddies are,” she giggled as she reclaimed her seat. “And that’s assuming they haven’t already, and just don’t use it in front of said daddies.”

All of their friends started laughing along with them, glad to see she was in at least a somewhat better mood now. Then again, with the woman that was upsetting her having been escorted out a side door and told to leave, or she’d find herself in a holding cell, no one was surprised by that. Whether she was actually the bride’s mother or not, she’d no business crashing their _reception,_ and certainly not by translating something the couple’d obviously wanted to keep private. If there was anything besides her having upset said bride, that was what’d ticked off all the guys more than anything.

Once everyone was done with their linguine, Bobby told them that he’d decided on something special as dessert. He hadn’t wanted to go with just any wedding cake, but rather one he knew his wife loved, based on the way she talked about it. That made her shoot him a suspicious look as he gestured to the few folks serving them, her eyes widening in surprise once they started bringing it out.

She couldn’t deny being all too familiar with what her mother’d called the _Better than Sex_ cake for Years, well enough to know it on sight. If it wasn’t the crumbled toffee bits sprinkled on top that gave it away, it was how the devil’s food base looked like it could fall apart at any second. Memories of the cake in question told her that that was due to the Chocolate and caramel syrup that was poured over it and allowed to soak in through holes poked in the top.

Bobby couldn’t help a laugh as she seemed to practically slide outta her chair, her eyes rolling back like she was remembering the pleasure of one of their dirty Nights together. He’d admit to being quite the chocoholic sometimes these Days, but even he wasn’t too sure he’d like this particular cake. Then again, he’d wanted to make this Day as special as possible for her, and he saw no better way than to have this made as their wedding cake. And after the way Kat’d barged in and upset her to the point of crying out in the parking lot, he definitely thought she could use some serious Comfort food, so this definitely seemed like a good idea now.

“Bret, ya might wanna go check your sugar and have a dose of your insulin ready,” the bride giggled.

“Oh, God–do I even wanna know how bad that thing is?” Bret chuckled as he watched them move to cut it.

“This is quite literally a diabetic’s worst nightmare on a plate,” she laughed, letting her new husband cover her hand on the knife handle with his own.

“Oh, Jesus Christ on a crutch!” the frontman said. “I’m not sure if I even wanna partake, if you’re saying that!”

“Hey, at least I’m warning ya that even a small piece might putcha in the hospital instead of letting ya find out the hard way!” Aerin cackled.

“She’s a point, dude,” the drummer laughed. “If she’s had this joker before, she’d be the one to know.”

“I’ve had it a few Times–and trust me when I say, everyone’s getting milk with this, ’cuz even the non-diabetic adults won’t be able to stand it, otherwise,” the young woman said with a wink.

Everyone cracked up once again, the guys laughing even harder when she forcibly made Bobby let her cut a smaller piece than what he’d originally Intended.

“Trust me, love–you’ll thank me for not letting ya go any bigger than this,” she told him.

“Do I even wanna know why?” the older bassist asked, a brow cocked as he looked down at her.

“It’ll take both of us to eat even _this_ small piece–unless ya _wanna_ be worshipping the Porcelain God, that is,” Aerin giggled.

“Oh, Gods–no, thank ya!” he laughed. “Sticking to small pieces, even if we’ve to freeze the leftovers and take a Year to eat it!”

Everyone in the private dining room cracked up for what felt like the hundredth Time that Day, deciding to just trust her when she said that. They were eager to find out exactly why she chose that phrasing, but waited patiently as they cut enough pieces of relatively the same size for everyone else to share. Bobby made sure the one passed down to CC and Shannon was just a hair bigger so they could share it with their son, who was the only one who didn’t have anyone to share with.

As was customary, all the guests waited till the bride and groom’d taken their first bite, their eyes widening in surprise at the older bassist’s reaction. He looked almost like he’d just taken a swig of Jack–or maybe something even stronger–as he reached for his glass before he’d even swallowed that bite. Aerin couldn’t help cracking up, even though her reaction was only a hair milder than her new husband’s once she took her first bite. Granted, she didn’t have to immediately reach for her glass, but it was obvious that this thing was rich as hell, if those reactions were anything to go by.

“Good God!” the frontman said, grappling for his own glass. “Yeah, okay–Raine and I aren’t doing anymore of this!”

“I second that, Daddy!” his older daughter agreed as she grabbed her own.

“We’ll wind up in diabetic comas, if we try to eat anymore of this,” he chuckled.

“Yeah, this thing _is_ pretty rich,” Rikki said, his own eyes wide. “Definitely more than I thought.”

“Ya knew it was this rich, didn’tcha?” the younger bassist chuckled as he looked at the bride.

“Whyddaya think I wouldn’t let Bobby cut pieces bigger than what y’all got?” she countered with a grin. “And insisted even the non-diabetic adults get milk to wash it down with?”

“I think you’ll definitely be taking the leftovers home to freeze, if ya don’t just throw it away,” Aidan giggled. “I don’t even wanna finish this for Fear that I might get sick.”

“Now imagine how I feel, what with two boogers giving me less room to put food in!” the bride laughed.

It wasn’t long afterward that even the kids couldn’t take anymore, despite having set out to prove to their parents that they could all kill their slices between each pair of them. They looked like they wanted to lean over and unload their meals on the floor next to them, but were able to avoid that. Getting on any kinda carnival ride down at the nearby boardwalk was gonna be a bad idea for all of them, though, or they’d all be feeding the Fish.

Once their plates were cleared away, Bobby telling the staff to just offer the remains of the linguine and cake to any other patron who wanted some, they settled down to just chat for a bit. All of them needed a few moments to let their food settle, but that wasn’t exactly a surprise to the young bride as she snuggled against his side, a hand on her belly.

Feeling him shift slightly a short while later made her sit up a bit, a brow cocked at him curiously as he reached into his pocket. It was the opposite one he’d pulled the Tums he’d tossed to Rikki from earlier, and she couldn’t help but wonder what he was up to now. The older bassist pulling out what was obviously a small jewelry box surprised her, judging by the way her eyes widened once again. Everyone else’s attention was caught by that, and they watched the newly-handfasted couple curiously to see what was about to unfold.

“You’re like my caged Beauty more often than you’re not,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders so she could lean against him again, but he could still open the box. “But I know how much ya love _Beauty and the Beast_ –both the animated movie _and_ the original Faerie tale that was based on.”

Aerin let him open the box to show her its contents, unable to help gasping. “Bobby, ya devil–you’re gonna spoil me!”

The older bassist couldn’t help a laugh as he let her take it and pull out the contents. “What can I say? I like spoiling ya, but I like the stuff I getcha to mean something to ya, too.”

“I think ya hit the nail on the head with this one, love,” she told him.

Bobby watched her with a grin as she held up the necklace once she’d freed it from the box, everyone else gasping in Awe. It was meant to be the crimson Rose under its glass dome from the Disney movie, which explained why the petals were made of Garnet and Ruby. A single heart-shaped Ruby topped the apex of the dome, the dome’s curve covered in a line of the same Smoky Quartz that Graced the dead Center of the blooming Rose. Along the bottom, there was a line of Black Diamonds to denote where the base woulda been, if it’d had one in the movie, which matched the Black Diamonds of her handfasting set.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room, even the guys tearing up as the bride turned her back to him and lifted her hair. He gladly took the necklace from her, gently working the clasp open before he draped it around her neck, despite the Pentacle and Triquetra necklaces already there that she rarely left the house without. If there was anything he was excited for, it was to see how it looked once she turned around enough for him to see it.

Everyone let out a collective _awww_ at seeing the pendant reach down to her cleavage, where it was well outta the way of getting tangled up with her other necklace. They could all see why the older bassist’d picked it, ’cuz she was certainly a beautiful woman, and they’d all gotten the feeling she felt caged a Time or two.

None of them were expecting her to pull out something as she leaned up to give him a quick, but sound kiss. One of those Silver brows cocked at her curiously, then rose in surprise as he realized she was holding a small jewelry box out to him. It was practically the same size as the one he’d pulled out for her, so he almost instantly realized it was a necklace she Intended to give him as a handfasting present. But he was even more surprised by the elaborate simplicity of the pendant when he opened it, especially since it matched their rings.

“I know it’s a lil on the feminine side, but I couldn’t resist for a reason,” Aerin told him, a slight quaver to her voice.

“Sweetheart, I don’t care if it’s feminine or not,” he said, pulling the Silver chain it hung from outta the box. “It’s something special from you–not to mention kinda matches our rings–and that’s what matters to me.”

The young woman couldn’t help a broad grin as he held it up for everyone to see the old-World-style key, whose top was a heart-shaped loop that seemed to be sitting in the Topaz-bejeweled Crown.

“This might just wind up replacing the cross or dog tag that I normally wear,” Bobby told her, wrapping her in a loose hug.

“I don’t really care if ya ever wear it, or just put it up for safekeeping,” she said, pulling back to look up at him. “Just don’t ever make me regret giving ya the key to my heart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a link to the pic of the pendants on Aerin's and Bobby's handfasting presents to each other. The one that Bobby's is based on is a pendant that I actually own, but have never done anything with. I just thought it fit, both with their rings and with how Aerin's supposed to be slow to fully trust someone like I am.  
> ~Angel
> 
> Link to Aerin's Necklace–https://media.vancaro.com/product/image/n/r/nrn0092-20190703.jpg
> 
> Link to Bobby's Necklace–https://www.instagram.com/p/B587Rwkhq1n/


	10. Ten

Later that Night, in the master suite of the house he’d just sold–which he’d essentially rented for the week to have a honeymoon location–Bobby was content as he snuggled his new bride. They’d finally managed to leave the restaurant, the guys and their families getting ready to head back to Los Angeles so they could resume their normal Lives. Ash and Aidan were already on the road to Tennessee since they’d also driven down, but they were checking in every couple hours whenever they stopped for gas or something.

Due to the special Nature of the Day, he’d decided that he was gonna veritably worship his bride that Night, just as she deserved. However, the tables’d quickly been turned when she started using the sensation play she knew he loved against him. Aerin was always careful to stop just short of him getting his rocks off, which often irritated him to no End, but he loved every second of it.

After what’d to be three, maybe four rounds that made him seem more like he was twenty-eight or younger again, the bassist was thoroughly worn out. It’d been a long Day that he’d gotten up early for, but while he was exhausted, it was one of the most pleasant types of exhaustion he’d ever experienced. But he knew his new wife felt the same way, judging by the smile still on her face and the soft sighs she’d let out when either of them shifted in the slightest.

“Ready to get some sleep now, huh?” Bobby chuckled softly as he rubbed her back.

_“Mmm hmm,”_ she hummed, nodding where her head rested on his chest. “These babies already make me tired–ya wore me out even more, especially since ya made me unleash the _Sex magick_ tonight.”

“I didn’t make ya unleash shit!” the bassist laughed. “That was an accident!”

“Sure, it was,” Aerin giggled. “Ya already admitted ya loved when I hitcha with it, so I know damn good and well ya sent me into sub-space on purpose to get it!”

“All right, all right–ya figured out my dastardly plan,” he told her. “I couldn’t resist since yeah, I love it when I get smacked with _Sex magick.”_

“I fuckin’ knew it,” the young woman said, then yawned.

“Well, before we finally call it a Night, I’m kinda curious–what’d ya say to your mother earlier?” Bobby asked. “I don’t actually speak Italian–I only learned those couple lines for my vows from my now-former restaurant manager.”

“I told her that I didn’t know what the fuck she wanted, but she wasn’t welcome there, and to suck my left nut, or get out,” she told him.

The bassist couldn’t help cracking up, knowing that was just like his new wife when she didn’t wanna deal with something–or simply didn’t have the capability of dealing with something at a particular Time.

“The next lil bit of Italian I used right before I walked out literally means _fuck this shit,”_ Aerin continued. _“Fottuta fica_ – _lei può succhiami la sinistra signora dado.”_

“Okay, I’ma take a wild guess and say thatcha just said she could suck your left lady nut,” he chuckled.

“And called her a fuckin’ cunt,” the young woman answered.

Bobby just about choked on his own spit as he cracked up again, but he knew that was all too like his new wife, considering how she’d professed to feel about her mother. Still, even as they settled down so they could finally go to bed, he wondered just how their estrangement was gonna affect the near Future. He knew that most women wanted their mothers in the delivery room with them, if said mother was still alive when they gave Birth. What he wanted to know was whether she was gonna be one of those women who’d want her mother with her during such a Time, but didn’t realize it yet, or if she really _did_ hate Kat that much and never wanted to see her again.

The next couple months passed by in relative Peace for the new, oddly-blended family after everything that’d turned several Lives upside-down. In those couple months since the handfasting, Bobby and Aerin’d gotten settled in their new house, the bassist’s kids also getting settled relatively quickly. Even though they didn’t have to, they decided to go through the hiring process of getting back the jobs they’d held down in Florida, just at local branches in Nashville.

Once they’d gotten settled, they started working on a collection of nursery supplies that were more gender-neutral than not. When they’d first started, they hadn’t known their babies’ genders–it was simply a bit too early to tell what they were. Even the OB/GYN thought they might both be girls at first, due to what seemed to be a lack of a protuberance that could be a boy.

During the young woman’s checkup about a month after their handfasting, the OB/GYN–Dr. Ariel Kenda–said that it was prolly Time she got her second ultrasound. Knowing that was relatively standard and wanting another glimpse at their babies, neither of the couple tried to argue the point. They were excited to see their babies more developed than they’d been during the last ultrasound when she was only four weeks pregnant. Neither baby’d looked like more than a grain of Rice in a Sea of black at that Time, but they’d actually look like lil humans by now. Very tiny and still under-developed humans since she was only about halfway through her pregnancy, but still humans all the same.

Having that ultrasound turned out to be pretty helpful, ’cuz Dr. Kenda’d been able to definitively discern that they were having a lil boy _and_ a lil girl. She’d three decades of experience as an OB/GYN, which meant three decades of experience at reading ultrasounds. If she swore by them expecting a son and a daughter, they knew they could pretty much take it as Gospel. The chances of her being proven wrong once Aerin gave Birth were slim-to-none, especially since technology was a lot better now than it’d been when Zach was born over thirty Years ago.

“Ya know, I gotta say–I didn’t really care about genders this Time around, but I’m excited to be getting one of each again,” Bobby said.

“I never really cared about gender as much as Health,” his wife agreed, looking up from folding some of the baby clothes they’d already bought.

“Yeah, I was more concerned with Health, too,” he admitted. “I mean, I’m not as young as I was when Zach and Zoe were born.”

“It’s usually not as much the father’s age that affects an infant’s Health at Birth as it is the mother’s,” Aerin told him. “Granted, I’d say that the older the father, the less viable the sperm’d be, just like with the eggs.”

“True, but it’s not the father that’s gotta carry them,” the bassist said.

“It’s the DNA the father passes on that could cause problems, love,” she giggled. “’Cuz as a person ages, their cells essentially forget how to split and multiply properly.”

“And any defects in that DNA could get passed on to the kids,” Bobby mused, starting to get it.

“Bingo,” his wife answered, nodding. “But since Dr. Kenda hasn’t found anything outta the ordinary and doesn’t seem to be worried, I’m not gonna worry, either.”

He couldn’t deny that that was prolly the better route to go, just so they wouldn’t cause any problems to crop up that she normally wouldn’t have. Other than the hellacious Morn sickness at first and when her mother’d upset her right after their handfasting, her pregnancy seemed to be smooth sailing. Sure, Aerin ate like a Horse due to needing more fuel than even he’d thought she would at first and got tired pretty easily, but the OB/GYN assured them that was normal. A twin pregnancy required more resources than a single one, so she’d have been surprised if those things _hadn’t_ been happening.

The thing the bassist was more concerned with since there didn’t appear to be anything wrong with her or the twins was setting up nurseries. He’d purposely chosen a five-bedroom house to make sure they’d have Space to accommodate something like this happening, so they still had two free rooms. All they’d need to do was paint and decorate them accordingly, and they should be good to go once the babies were born.

Bobby was surprised when his wife’d stopped him, saying that they were prolly better off setting up a single, gender-neutral nursery. She’d heard that twins did better when put in the same crib after Birth due to getting used to sharing confined quarters during pregnancy. It seemed to be a Comfort thing, being able to be within touching distance of their sibling so they’d have that skin-to-skin contact they’d gotten used to before Birth. They’d still do pretty well, if put in separate nurseries, according to the research done on newborn twins–or other multiples–but she still wanted to play it safe. Going by that new information, he was all for setting up a nursery her way and doing just the one for now.

“Well, I guess we need to head off to that _BuyBuyBaby_ ya were talking about,” he said, stretching his back as he got up from putting a few of the things she’d folded into a bottom drawer of the dresser they were using for now.

“Yeah, I’d rather go see what they’ve in-store right now than wait on an online order to be delivered, if I don’t have to,” the young woman agreed. She gave herself a good stretch when she stood up, quickly grabbing the dresser for balance.

“Whoa, there,” Bobby said, quick to reach out and catch her.

“I’m fine, love,” she assured him. “Just a lil off-balance from all this weight pulling on my middle.”

“We still don’t need ya falling,” the bassist chuckled, rubbing her back.

“I know, but we’re all fine,” Aerin giggled, letting him pull her against his side and wrap his arm around her shoulders.

“Then let’s get going since baby supplies aren’t gonna buy themselves,” Bobby told her, smiling as she wrapped her arm around his waist in Return.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” the young woman agreed.

Once they grabbed their essentials from the master suite down the hall, they headed downstairs so they could grab keys and head out. He paused in the kitchen long enough to leave a note on the kitchen counter for Zach and Zoe to let them know where they were going. They were at work, so he doubted they’d answer any texts either of them sent, if they even read them before they were back home.

With his keys in hand, the bassist followed his wife out to his car, where he paused to open her door for her like the gentleman he’d been raised to be. Aerin shot him a grin as she settled in the passenger’s seat, allowing him to close said door behind her while she was buckling herself in. Only then did he head around the hood to do the same on the driver’s side, and he wouldn’t deny being excited about doing this. He hadn’t gotten to participate when his older kids were in the making due to being on tour, so this was one of the things that’d made him decide to quit the band.


	11. Eleven

Upon arriving at the _BuyBuyBaby_ store about ten miles away in Franklin, Bobby was even more excited than he’d been when they’d first gotten in his car. His young wife and mama-to-be couldn’t help but laugh as he practically bounced in his seat while waiting on her, but she knew why. Back when Zach and Zoe both were in the making, his ex-wife’d been the one to design their nurseries since he’d been on the _Open Up_ tour while she was pregnant with Zach, then in rehab to get dried out for most of her pregnancy with Zoe.

The only parts he’d really had a significant role in were when they were originally conceived, and getting to hold them after Mishy’d given Birth. He’d to rush home from a tour stop at the Chelsea Studios in New York, but inclimate Weather’d delayed him. No thanks to the flight he’d been trying to catch being delayed by thirty hours, he’d finally gotten to the hospital just after his son was born.

Aerin was hell-bound and determined that he got the full experience alongside her–well, as much as he could for being the father, rather than the mother. While she might be the one with more of a sense of interior design, she still wanted him to feel like his input was valuable before deciding on any one theme. The bassist might actually think of something that slipped her mind and point it out, which she’d admit was a distinct possibility. She’d been more forgetful ever since conceiving, which Dr. Kenda said was mostly due to sleep deprivation and completely normal. Regardless, the young woman knew having her husband’s input was prolly better for both their sakes as opposed to fighting.

In the store, said husband grabbed a cart since they didn’t have any real ideas in mind, but didn’t know what they might End up finding. Bobby knew there could be hundreds upon thousands of designs to choose from in just crib bedding alone, but they’d have to pick something that was unisex. Otherwise, they’d have to find two similar sets–or ones that were identical, save for a single differing Color or something–to mix-and-match since they were having one of each.

“Can I help y’all find anything today?”

Turning their attention to the left, they saw one of the store’s employees fulfilling that part of her job description by greeting them and offering her assistance.

“I think we’re good with just browsing for now,” the young woman answered, rubbing her belly. “We’ve twins to shop for, but planning on doing a single nursery, so we’re not too sure how we’re gonna manage that.”

“Well, we’ve plenty of unisex sets,” she told her. “Actually, I just saw one earlier that was themed around the Moon and perfect for your case, or just waiting till Birth to find out the genders.”

The bassist couldn’t help a chuckle at the way his wife’s eyes lit up at the word _Moon_. “I think ya mighta just stole her heart with that one.”

“So I’ma _Selenophile,”_ Aerin giggled. “You like staring at the Sun till I whack the back of your noggin and tell ya to stop it before ya blind yourself.”

“And what’s a _Selenophile,_ if ya don’t mind my asking?” the employee–whose name tag read _Becki_ –asked curiously.

“A _Nyctophile’s_ someone who loves Night and the Darkness, a _Pluviophile’s_ someone who loves and/or takes Comfort in the Rain, a _Selenophile’s_ someone who loves the Moon, and a _Ceraunophile’s_ someone who loves Thunder and Lightning,” she answered, making even her husband look amazed.

“Well, I already know you’re not a _Pluviophile,”_ Bobby chuckled. “If there’s one thing ya hate–unless it’s in the middle of a powerful Storm–it’s Rain.”

“I’d say that Moon-themed set might work for any design y’all come up with, then,” Becki giggled. “And I’m glad to see that a young woman’s her dad’s support during something like this.”

The couple glanced at each other, then laughed softly before turning their attention back to her.

“He’s not _my_ dad,” the young woman laughed. “He’s Daddy to these two.”

He couldn’t help a snicker as she dragged his hand onto her belly, her own free hand pointing at it.

“Oh, I’m so sorry–I just assumed…” the young employee said, her face turning bright red.

“Don’t worry about it,” Aerin laughed. “We knew we’d get some odd looks when we first started dating ’cuz of the age difference between us–having it happen now that we’re married and I’m pregnant was pretty much a given.”

The young woman still looked mortified at her mistaken assumption as they headed off to see what they’d in stock at the moment, and they couldn’t exactly blame her. With a thirty-Year age gap and Bobby having gone gray close to fifteen Years ago, they weren’t surprised such an assumption was made. Maybe it wouldn’t have happened, if he still dyed his hair either brown or black like Nikki Sixx did, but that was one of his more endearing qualities. His wife liked the fact that he wasn’t scared to show his age like a lotta people–especially celebrities–seemed to be, which made him all the more attractive.

As they browsed through the crib bedding, they ignored any other curious looks they got, even from lil kids who were their with their own parents. Neither of them really wanted to be bothered so they could get back home sooner, but they didn’t wanna be outright rude, either. For them, it was easier just to pretend they didn’t notice the looks, rather than acknowledging them and stirring the shit pot.

Not long after they’d started down the second aisle of crib bedding, the bassist felt a gentle tug on his jeans and looked down. There was a lil girl who couldn’t have been more than three or four standing beside him, her expression a mixture of scared and curious. He couldn’t help that look tugging on his heartstrings, the daddy already in him making him drop to one knee so he was on her level and didn’t seem nearly as intimidating to her.

“Why’s your hair all gray, Mister?” she asked, reaching out to finger the tresses hanging over his shoulder.

“’Cuz I’m a old man,” Bobby chuckled, letting her play with it.

“Your wife looks so young, though,” was her next observation.

“I’m not quite _that_ young, but certainly younger than my husband,” she laughed.

“Where’re your parents, ya lil cutie?” the bassist asked.

“I–I dunno, Mister,” the lil girl whimpered, her lip starting to tremble. “Mommy was right there–” She pointed toward the other End of the aisle. “–then she was gone.”

“Well, let’s see if we can find her before she starts worrying too much,” he said, gently pulling her against his chest before rising. “She’s prolly still here somewhere.”

“What’s your name, sweetheart?” Aerin asked. “It’ll be easier to find your mommy, if we can tell somebody who works here what your name is.”

“Sabrina!” she answered, a smile stretching across her face.

“My name’s Miss Aerin, and his is Mr. Bobby,” the young woman told her. “Think ya can remember that?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Sabrina said with an emphatic nod.

Chuckling, Bobby grabbed the cart handle with his free hand, feeling much the same way he had back when his own daughter was this age. There was just something about snuggling a kid, especially a lil girl, against his chest that made him feel like the big, strong protector. His daddy instincts just got pulled out even more ’cuz of that, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, if it got this lil girl back to her family–preferably sooner, rather than later.

They soon made it up to the customer service desk, where Aerin moved to tell the woman running it what they were there for. Neither were very surprised when she told them she’d just had a woman come up that was looking for a Sabrina, the picture of the lil girl she’d shown her looking identical to the lil girl the bassist was holding.

Radioing the coworker who’d gone with the woman to search for her missing daughter, the woman said that the girl’d been found and was safe at the customer service desk. They all heard the woman’s relieved sob as said coworker responded, letting them know they were on their way up there from the back of the store. He knew it’d take them a couple minutes, depending on the pace they walked at, but something told him that pace was gonna be slow. Bobby didn’t know why, but he’d the feeling that this lil girl’s mother was also pregnant, and prolly at least as far along as his wife was.

_“Sabrina!”_

Turning at the elated cry, he saw what looked like a woman in her early-twenties that was obviously pregnant.

“Mommy!” Sabrina cried happily, reaching out to her.

“Whoa, there,” the bassist chuckled as he knelt down. “Prolly better to hug Mommy from down low.”

“Otays!” she agreed, waiting till he set her down to go running for the younger woman.

Said younger woman turned a dirty look on him, no doubt ’cuz of his long hair more so than anything, but he paid it no mind.

Aerin chose not to remark on the woman’s apparent lack of manners, considering that being hormonal often made her tongue run away on her.

“Thanks for helping me find Mommy, Miss Aerin and Mr. Bobby!” the lil girl said, giggling.

“You’re very welcome, sweetheart,” his wife responded with a smile. “Just don’t go running off like that again–I’m sure she was pretty worried aboutcha.”

“Considering who she turned up with,” the younger woman snapped. “Some ol’ pervert, by the looks of it.”

“Whether my husband’s a pervert or not ain’t anyone’s business but our own,” she snapped, her temper starting to flare. “’Cuz yeah, he _is_ a pervert–in _our bedroom_. And if that’s really the only place he lets it show, what does it matter if he’s one or not?”

The younger woman looked surprised at how she went off on her.

“Sweetheart, let’s get back to what we were here for,” Bobby said, starting to get a bit uncomfortable, despite being proud of her for standing up for him.

“Yeah, let’s,” his wife agreed. “’Cuz otherwise, I’ll be too tempted to _really_ give her a piece of my mind–and the way I do it won’t be good, what with both of us having precious cargo on board.”

He couldn’t help a soft sigh of relief as he grabbed their empty cart and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“You just remember, lady–sometimes it’s the stereotypical bad boys who’ve hearts of Silver the size of Alaska and wouldn’t Dream of hurting your daughter, while the ones who look like they coulda stepped off the cover of _People_ are the ones who’d do her the most harm,” Aerin growled as they walked past her.

“I just–” she started, only to get cut off by her glare.

“Just, what–assumed based on the long hair and few tats he chose to let be displayed today that he was some kinda monster Intent on hurting Sabrina?” his wife snapped. “News flash–Bobby’s actually one of the sweetest, most gentlemanly folks I’ve ever met in my Life, even though I’ll be the first to admit that he’s his wild and crazy side when he wantsta.”

The younger woman’s jaw dropped in shock, lil Sabrina giggling.

“So maybe next Time, ya don’t judge a damn book by its cover,” she told her before heading off.

Bobby was quick to notice her limp as they headed back to the crib bedding, and he knew that meant she was close to reaching her limit for being on her feet. He knew her left hip’d given her trouble for the last few Years, even before they met, and that it really acted up when she stayed on her feet for too long. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that being on her feet on concrete or tile floors combined with the weight she’d gained from pregnancy was making it act up now.

Over in the crib bedding, the young woman got back to their mission of perusing all the different sets that were displayed on the shelf. Just about everything they saw was pretty much too wild and busy, or simply couldn’t be mixed-and-matched with something else on the shelf. She was just about ready to give up when something finally caught her eye, making a broad smile stretch across her face.

It was a blue-and-white set that’d what appeared to be either _fleur de lys_ or damask pattern in gray, which she thought was perfect for a lil boy’s nursery. While her husband inspected what she pulled down with a cocked brow once he took it from her, Aerin started checking the rest of the shelf. Something told her there’d to be a similar or identical set geared more toward a baby girl nearby, and she wasn’t gonna rest till she found it. Luckily for her, further searching a few sets back in the shelf slot proved her instinct to be right, and she let out a soft cheer as she managed to fish out the package so she could see it clearly.

This set was identical to the first she’d pulled off the shelf, other than everything that was blue in the first was purple in this second one. It was definitely geared more toward a baby girl, and she was already getting a mental image in mind for how they could mix-and-match both sets. If they painted the nursery walls a Light or medium gray, the blue and purple in both sets could serve as the splashes of Color she’d otherwise planned to put in the room. And combining it with nursery furniture in a Dark finish’d make both the gray and the colored parts pop even more.

“All right–what’s churning in that funky brain of yours?” Bobby asked with a chuckle. “’Cuz I thought we were doing gender-neutral.”

“Well, they’re identical sets, other than one having blue and the other having purple in some places,” the young woman responded.

“Again, I thought we were doing one gender-neutral nursery, not two so we’d one for each gender,” he reiterated.

“We can mix-and-match these since they’re identical, other than that Color difference,” Aerin explained. “Like, we use the crib skirt from one, and the blanket from the other–just with every part of both sets so we’ve an even amount of both.”

“So, we could do the changing pad from the blue one, and the diaper stacker from the purple one to keep it Balanced?” the bassist asked, starting to follow her train of Thought. “Sounds perfect to me.”

“And we can paint the walls a Light or medium gray to match the patterned parts, but still make the Colors pop,” she agreed.

“What about furniture Color, though?” Bobby asked.

“I say a Dark finish on the Wood to make it pop all the more,” the young woman answered.

“I swear, you’re a genius when it comes to interior design,” he chuckled, leaning down to give her a kiss. “I’d be lost, if I were doing this shit on my own.”

“Nah, you’d figure it out eventually,” Aerin laughed. “But let’s keep looking to see what else they’ve got that goes with these.”

Looking at the back of each package, he saw that they were supposed to include a crib blanket, fitted sheet, skirt, diaper stacker, toy bag, and throw pillow, along with two window valances and three wall hangings. Even though that’d make him spend around four hundred bucks for just these, he thought it’d be more than worth it. Money wasn’t that big of a concern to him, especially when compared to when he’d first moved to Los Angeles with only a hundred bucks to his name.

As they wandered around the section they were in, his wife was delighted to see that there was far more to the set than they’d originally thought. In addition to what was in those two packages, there were matching crib bumpers, body pillow cases, lamp shades, rugs, full curtain panels, changing pad covers, and mobiles for the crib. Her mind was even further blown when she found matching clothing hampers, wallpaper borders, memo boards, and even shower curtains. Even the en suite bathroom could be designed to somewhat match the nursery, which’d certainly be a plus to her.

Bobby simply chose to stay outta his wife’s way unless she needed help reaching something on a high shelf, able to see the wheels in her head already turning. Somehow, he wasn’t surprised when she grabbed one of everything from each set, taking care to make sure those lamp shades and mobiles didn’t get crushed under anything else.

It was when they started down the aisle after that that Aerin felt like they’d hit the jackpot, even as she realized they’d moved on from crib to toddler and bigger bedding. While she found a full-slash-Queen set that matched the purple-and-white crib set, she could one that she considered even better. This one contained a lotta the Lighter shade of purple, but also a Darker shade that’d match while offering a lil more variety. And the patterned part in this third set was black instead of gray, so it’d still match the overall theme without overloading on any one Color. She thought it was perfect, given that she was thinking about moving the bed outta the guest room into the nursery for the first few months.

“What’re ya thinking now, sweetheart?” Bobby asked curiously. “We’ve already picked out our bedding, after all.”

“Just trying to decide if I wanna move the guest bed into the nursery for the first few months, or just decorate it to match since it’s right across the hall,” the young woman answered.

“I admit, I’m kinda lost,” he told her, quite literally scratching his head in Thought.

“I think it’d be easier, if one or both of us was sleeping in the nursery with them–or at least just across the hall–instead of clear across the house,” Aerin explained. “And if we move the guest bed into the nursery, it just seems stupid for it to not match.”

“Especially since we’ve gone to all the trouble of finding matching crib sets, aside from that lone Color difference,” the bassist said, having a literal lightbulb moment.

“Bingo, love,” she giggled. “And even if it’s across the hall, I’d still rather our temporary room match the nursery, but have a bit of a difference, if possible.”

“Then I’d say this Darker set fits the bill,” Bobby said as he pulled one of the packages down. “The Lighter purple and black match both crib sets, but still gives a bit of difference.”

“And that Darker purple keeps it from being overwhelming by matching entirely,” the young woman agreed. “Damn, I’m glad ya went back for a second cart after we rounded up everything from the first set.”

Laughing, he settled the Queen-size bedding set in the cart she’d just cleared out for him, amazed at her ability to get both crib sets in just one cart without damaging anything. This bigger, Darker set included a comforter and two pillow shams, but something told him that wasn’t all of it. And he turned out to be right as a more thorough search yielded a matching bed skirt, throw pillow, and both window valances and curtain panels. Searching even further turned up matching wall hangings and decals, not to mention basket liners for wicker storage baskets.

By the Time they’d finally gotten up front and checked out, he’d spent well over a thousand dollars for just the bedding sets and all its matching décor. Part of him was almost terrified to find out what the Ending total for this nursery was gonna be after buying the nursery furniture, not to mention paint to repaint the walls with, but he knew it’d be more than worth it.

Getting everything into his back seat and trunk was a bit of a challenge, but one Aerin managed to help him with relatively well. The bedding sets all got lined up in the back seat, and they put as many bags containing things like the curtains in the floorboard as they could. Everything else wound up in the trunk in plastic crates she’d found and insisted on using when grocery shopping, which kept it from getting tossed around. It was a trick that–regrettable or no–her mother’d taught her before she left North Carolina to keep groceries from flying all over the ass-End of her truck and breaking Eggs or making soda bottles explode.

With everything they’d bought today packed up, the couple was finally able to get settled in the front seat so they could head home. Bobby couldn’t help heaving a sigh of relief as he closed his door, then a chuckle as he shoved his key into the ignition. Considering that they’d just bought and loaded up all this stuff, he was of a mind to let his older kids unload it and bring it in when they got home. Aerin laughed and admitted she was, too, reminding him of their desire to help as they took off for home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a few pics of the bedding and décor sets I picked out and was trying to describe. The first is the feminine nursery set, the second's the masculine match, and the third's the guest bedding set Aerin picked to match everything for the nursery. And before anyone says anything, I know the last set's shown as a twin set, but it DOES come as a full/Queen, too.  
> ~Angel
> 
> Link to Feminine Nursery Set–https://b3h2.scene7.com/is/image/BedBathandBeyond/506635215438c?$690$&wid=690&hei=690
> 
> Link to Masculine Nursery Set–https://b3h2.scene7.com/is/image/BedBathandBeyond/504252215357c?$690$&wid=690&hei=690
> 
> Link to Guest Décor Set–https://b3h2.scene7.com/is/image/BedBathandBeyond/1170355235965c?$690$&wid=690&hei=690


	12. Twelve

Another six weeks passed, and Aerin grew a lil bigger with the twins each and every Day, even though it didn’t seem like it to most eyes. It was only a couple weeks after they’d bought the crib and décor sets that her navel popped out from the pressure that’d slowly built up behind it. That gave her husband something else to torment her with, either by playfully poking it since it usually tickled or by sucking and nipping at it on one of their more passionate Nights.

The bassist’d Secretly planned a baby shower for his wife, which the guys–including Ash–and their families were invited to. He hadn’t told her about it, ’cuz–much like with a bachelorette party before their handfasting–she swore up and down that she didn’t want one. Knowing her better than she thought he did, though, he saw how her eyes lit up every Time a baby shower got mentioned.

On the Morn of the baby shower, Bobby was up quite a bit earlier than the mama-to-be, who hadn’t really been able to sleep due to all the kicking and squirming in her middle. It’d taken her hours to fall asleep after he did, even though he’d kept her up decently late with a couple romps to help wear her out. Now that she was dead to the World and sleeping peacefully, he fully Intended to let her sleep in while he and the kids were setting up. By the Time they were done with that, he hoped that the first of their guests’d be arriving, giving him a reason to finally wake her.

“Morn, Bobby.”

Looking up from finishing up the cake decorating he’d been working on, he couldn’t help a smile. “Morn, Ash.”

“Hope ya ain’t gonna kill Zach for letting me in,” the younger bassist chuckled. “He was outside getting something from his car when I pulled up.”

“Nah, better than waking Aerin up just yet,” Bobby told him. “Even with a couple romps, she didn’t fall asleep till after Midnight last Night, so I kinda want her to sleep in.”

“Damn, really?” he asked, looking a bit surprised.

“Hey, if you’d two hyperactive aliens calling your gut home, you’d prolly have some trouble sleeping occasionally, too,” the older bassist laughed softly.

“Yeah, I guess that’s true enough,” Ash agreed. “So, what’s on the agenda for today?”

“Plenty of crazy games before, during, and after present-opening,” he answered. “And trust me when I say that some of these games’re gonna get kinda crazy.”

The younger bassist was certainly interested, but got cut off by Zach letting the rest of Poison and their families in. Everyone started passing out hugs and other greetings, Rikki saying he’d a few things outside that were gonna take a bit to get brought in. He wouldn’t say what they were, but they were big-ticket items the couple’d need sooner or later, but prolly hadn’t gotten yet.

Bobby wiped his hands before getting the cake he’d painstakingly baked and decorated in the fridge for the Time being. His kitchen was an absolute train wreck right now, but with women like Kristi and TC jumping in to help him, it was set to rights in no Time. With the mess he’d made cleaned up, he let Zoe take over to get breakfast cooked and set out so they could all eat in just a short while. That was his cue to go get his wife up, if a kick to a full bladder hadn’t already roused her, and make sure she was dressed up a bit while not being over-dressed.

“Good Morn, sweetheart,” he said, rubbing her back as he gently woke her.

_“Mmmph,”_ Aerin grumbled, pulling her pillow over her head. “Lea’meh ’lone and lemme sleep till it’s Time for these brats to come outta me.”

“What–you’d rather miss all the fun today?” the bassist asked with a chuckle.

“Fun–what fun?” she countered, peeping out at him.

“Ya gotta get up from there, if ya wanna find out,” Bobby teased her. “Otherwise, go back to sleep–I’ll just go downstairs and have all the fun, myself.”

“Oh, no, ya don’t,” the young woman said, pushing herself upright. “You’re not teasing me like that, then telling me to go back to sleep.”

Laughing, he got outta her way so she could head to the bathroom since he knew that’d be the first thing she’d do. In fact, he took that Time to go grab her some clothes that were nicer than just maternity jeans and a T-shirt, but not fancy enough to be called wedding attire. What he wound up finding was a maternity shirt that seemed to be a combination of a wrap and a V-neck, one side supposed to look like a seat belt crossing beneath her breast when she was wearing it.

The burgundy Color was one that was easy enough for him to match, considering he could simply change into one of his black button-ups that he knew she loved seeing him in. A pair of Dark-wash maternity jeans was easy to match with, as well, whether he picked Light- or Dark-wash for himself. Satisfied with his choice and that she’d like them, he headed back into the bedroom to lay them out.

Upon walking outta the bathroom, Aerin cocked a brow at the outfit she found on the bed for her, wondering just what her husband was up to. He was nowhere in sight to ask him why he’d laid out this particular set, though, but their closet door was closed. Figuring he was changing in the closet, she decided to just wait so she _could_ ask him what on Earth he was up to. She didn’t really feel like dressing up in the slightest since she didn’t have plans to go anywhere or do anything today, and she wasn’t gonna, if she didn’t have to.

“I figured you’d have at least had your jeans on by now,” Bobby said as he stepped outta the closet a few minutes later.

“Not without knowing _why_ you’re wanting me in this,” the young woman shot back, her brow cocked.

“Ah, c’mon–can’t a guy wanna see his Lady at least a lil dressed up every now and again?” he chuckled.

“You’re up to _something,_ and I know it,” Aerin told him bluntly.

“And what I’m up to is a surprise,” the bassist retorted with a grin. “Which you’re not gonna find out, if ya don’t get dressed.”

“Only ’cuz I don’t feel like fighting today, and you’re looking pretty sharp for a Day spent at home, too,” she finally acquiesced.

Laughing softly, Bobby leaned down to give her a kiss as he reached for the maternity jeans he’d laid out for her. He rolled up the legs like they were pantyhose, then held them so that she could step into them without getting stuck and falling. She heaved a sigh as she grabbed hold of his arms for balance, quickly getting her feet into them, despite not being able to see said feet anymore.

With her jeans on, he bunched up the top so she could hold her arms up for him to slide it over her head, given that she already slept in a nursing bra. He couldn’t and wouldn’t deny that the young woman looked absolutely gorgeous, even with her breasts so swollen, they looked ready to burst. They’d swell even more as her milk started coming in and she started nursing their babies, but that didn’t matter to him. His Lady being comfortable, despite what every woman he’d ever talked to about it said to the contrary, and their babies thriving meant more to him.

Once they were both dressed and their hair brushed, Bobby wrapped an arm around her shoulders to help her downstairs. He knew she lost her balance easily, and being unable to see her feet past her swollen belly certainly didn’t help her on that front. The last thing he wanted was for her to fall down the stairs since that could very well hurt more than just her. Getting to the bottom of the stairs in one piece pleased him, and he grinned as he gave her a quick kiss before leading her to the living room.

“What the–” she started, cut off by greetings from the guys, their families, and Aidan.

“Welcome to your baby shower, Mommy,” the bassist playfully teased her.

“Bobby, I told ya I didn’t really want one!” Aerin said, flushing with embarrassment.

“And the gleam in your eyes every Time we talked about it said otherwise,” he chuckled. “Ya wanted one so bad, ya could taste it–and now you’re getting one.”

“He purposely kept it confined to just us since he knew more people than this’d just overwhelm ya,” Rikki laughed as he moved in to hug her.

“But hey, it’s the ones closest to ya that oughta be at something like this,” Bret added as he moved to take his turn.

“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” the young woman managed to laugh as she Returned everyone’s hugs.

“Now, to the dining room before I’ve to kick someone’s butt for getting syrup all over my couch,” Bobby said with a grin.

The few kids in attendance cheered as they took off for said room, the adults all on their heels since they were just as hungry. Aerin was prolly the most hungry adult, but then again, she was eating for three and had just woken up–she’d a right to be ravenous. In fact, he’d be scared and worried, if she wasn’t hungry right now–a lack of appetite wasn’t something he remembered his ex-wife having till right before she popped, at least with Zoe.

Everybody settled at the dining room table, the young woman groaning as her husband stuck a plastic Tiara on her head. He just couldn’t resist giving her something to denote her place of Honor at her own baby shower, no matter how silly it looked on her. And nobody held could help a laugh as she rolled her eyes at his silliness and gave him a playful swat across the rump for it.

It seemed that every mama in the room was surprised by how much Aerin could pack away for being so close to her due date, but her husband wasn’t surprised. She’d eat till she was ready to burst half the Time, and it seemed that nothing was gonna stop her till she either did or got sick from eating so much at once. At least she didn’t smoke anymore, which woulda only worsened the problem, not to mention cause their babies to be underweight, at best when they were born. Those things considered, maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that she ate so much, even if he’d a mess to clean up later.

“All right, guys,” Bobby said, grinning as he rubbed his hands together. “Time to prove how good–or bad–of artists ya are.”

“And just how’re we doing that?” the shortest blonde asked, cocking a brow curiously.

“We’re gonna be drawing pictures of what we think the babies’re gonna look like,” he answered, his grin downright devious. “But there’s a catch.”

“Oh, good Lord,” Bret laughed. “Do we even wanna know?”

“You’re gonna be drawing on these paper plates,” the bassist explained, passing out some of the sturdiest paper plates he could find when he went shopping for today.

“Well, that doesn’t sound too hard,” Kristi mused as she took hers.

“Till you’re trying to draw with it on top of your head,” he told her, barely avoiding cracking up.

_“What!?”_ everyone laughed.

“That’s the catch–you’ve to put the paper plate on top of your head while you’re drawing whatcha think the babies’re gonna look like,” Bobby told them.

“Oh, this is gonna be amusing,” his wife giggled as she rubbed her belly.

Being the parents, they were the only two exempt from any of the games, if they really didn’t wanna play. Everyone else needed a damn good reason–like the frontman’s diabetes or some kinda food allergy–to get outta humiliating themselves in one of the funniest ways known to man. And humiliate themselves, they did as they all stuck the plates on their heads, took the Crayola markers that got passed out, and started drawing.

Once everyone’d finished, it was Time to pull the plates back off their heads and view their so-called _artwork_. Just about everything that’d gotten drawn was a bunch of scribbles and what looked like mazes, although Ash actually got pretty close to something that looked humanoid. Maybe it was that he was a really good artist to start with–as well as the fact that he’d actually concentrated on what he was doing–more than the others. Either way, he was definitely the winner of this particular game, and he was rewarded with a new set of custom guitar picks for his trouble.

The next game on the list was a _Mommy and Daddy_ version of _Twenty Questions,_ which was no doubt gonna get interesting. Each of the guests was supposed to ask both parents twenty questions, such as what genders they wanted and what they’d like to see the babies be when they were grown. Bobby decided to head out back with everyone since they were supposed to be separated to avoid knowing the other’s answers too soon. After all the questions were asked, he’d head back into the house so they could be put on the hot seat together, ’cuz they’d to guess what they thought each other’s answer to each question was before polling the group to see who thought who was right.

As he headed out the back door to wait his turn, all the guests conferred with each other while Aerin was taking a quick potty break. Once they’d agreed on twenty questions to ask both parents, they started with the mama-to-be since she was already inside. Kristi got the Honor of getting to ask her each question and write down her answer to it, just about everyone laughing at said questions.

“Okay, to start off–where were ya when ya found outcha were pregnant?” the older brunette asked.

“There’s two answers to that,” she laughed. “Worshipping the Porcelain God when I got the suspicion, in the ER when I actually found out.”

“Whaddaya think the genders’re gonna be?” Kristi asked next. None of their friends and family knew ’cuz they’d wanted to surprise them.

“Bobby and I already know–we’re just keeping it Secret for now,” she answered with a mischievous grin.

“Oh, c’mon!” CC begged. “Ya gotta tell us, if ya know!”

“Nope, not gonna happen, DeVille!” Aerin laughed. “Cue what I like to call _Vault Mode!”_

The whole group cracked up, but quickly settled down so they could keep going.

“Third question,” the older brunette said once she’d caught her breath. “Whaddaya think they’re gonna be when they grow up?”

“Prolly heavily into Astronomy and/or Astrology, not to mention Music,” she answered. “I mean, Daddy’s a rock star, and we’re both highly into the Stars, Planets, etc.”

“Damn, really?” Bret asked, sounding amazed.

“You’d be surprised how much fun Bobby has when he’s Stargazing with me,” the young woman chuckled.

“Next question–whose nose do ya think they’re gonna have?” Kristi asked.

“Gods, I hope it’s Bobby’s!” Aerin laughed. “I’ve always hated my nose!”

“Do ya think they’re gonna have your lil ears, or Bobby’s big Dumbo ears?” she asked, trying not to crack up.

“I dunno whose idea that was, but Gods, I hope they’ve _my_ ears!” the young woman answered. “’Cuz while I love his ears, I’d be scared if we’d girls that had ’em!”

“If one or both’s a boy, do ya think he’s gonna have his daddy’s prowess–hint, hint?” she asked with a grin.

“If one or both’s a boy and he’s his daddy’s prowess, may he be taught to use it wisely,” Aerin laughed. “’Cuz the Day he winds up on _Sixteen and Pregnant_ is the Day he’s gonna die!”

“If ya could see them grow up to be anything in particular, what would it be?” the older brunette asked.

“Well, while it’d be nice to see two generations of rockers in the house, I’d want ’em to follow their hearts,” she answered honestly. “If that means one’s an astronaut while the other’s a deep-Sea diver, so mote it be.”

“Whose personality do ya think they’ll have?” Kristi asked.

“Now, that’s gonna be a hard one,” the young woman chuckled. “’Cuz depending on which Zodiac system ya go by, Bobby and I both hold two different signs’ worth of traits.”

“Whaddaya mean?” Rikki asked, sounding confused.

“If ya go by the twelve-sign system everybody’s used to, I’ma Libra and Bobby’s a Scorpio,” she answered. “But if ya go by the thirteen-sign system I use–which goes by the dates the Constellations’re actually a backdrop to the Sun–I’ma Virgo, and he’s a Libra.”

“Oh, boy– _that’s_ gotta be confusing,” the frontman laughed.

“Exactly,” Aerin said. “And let’s say they’re a Gemini by that twelve-sign system–they’d really be Tauruses, going by the thirteen-sign system.”

“How tall do ya think they’ll be when they’re grown?” his girlfriend asked to get everyone back on track.

“Any girls’ll prolly be fun-size like me, any boys giants like Bobby,” the young woman laughed.

“Do ya think they’re gonna be wild and hyper, or Calm and quiet?” Kristi asked.

“Judging by all this moving and grooving they do now, wild and hyper like their daddy!” she laughed, rubbing her belly as the twins practically danced within her at that very moment.

The next ten questions were equally serious and goofy, everyone having a blast as they got Aerin’s equally serious and goofy answers, depending on the question asked. It wasn’t long before Rikki was heading out back to pose the same questions to the bassist and write down his answers, everyone else staying inside so they could do the polling afterward.

A short while after the tallest blonde’d walked out back, he came back in with the Silver Fox hot on his heels. Said Silver Fox made a beeline for his Lady, as if having been worried about her the whole Time he was outside–which was prolly true. Assuring himself that she and their babies were all fine, he settled in his favorite recliner and pulled her down into his lap. Going through the questions again, they both guessed the other’s answers, and they surprised all their guests with just how well they really knew each other.

Up next was the Traditional guesstimate as to how big the mama-to-be’d grown throughout her pregnancy thus far. Several balls of yarn’d been bought just for today, and Bobby’d made sure to buy them in just about every Color he could find to avoid giving away the genders. Each guest took a good look at her as she spun in a slow Circle, then pulled out the amount of yarn they thought it’d take to go all the way around her using her popped navel as a starting and Ending point.

Outta everyone who’d decided to take a stab at it, CC was surprisingly the best at eyeballing measurements. Even though he was about a centimeter off from perfect, he was still the closest in his guess as to how much yarn was needed to wrap all the way around Aerin’s waist. Everyone else’d either cut too short a piece, or they’d way overestimated when they discovered they could wrap their piece around her at least twice. Some were actually able to wrap theirs around her three, four, or even more Times than that before they ran outta yarn. It was downright hilarious to see just how off most of the guests’d gotten, which had the expectant parents in stitches the whole Time.

“Now, this next game’s gonna be done outside,” the bassist announced. “’Cuz by the Goddess, I’m not giving her a reason to kill me–nor do I wanna go bust out the wet vac.”

“Oh, boy–why do I get the feeling this is gonna be another crazy one?” Ash asked.

“You’ll see once we’re all out back,” he laughed, turning for the back door.

Once they were all on the grassy risers that spanned the Space between the back patio and the pool deck, Bobby grinned as they looked confused.

“Do I wanna know what the tubs of Water are for?” the drummer asked, his brow cocked.

“Those who actually wanna are going bobbing,” he chuckled. “But not for Apples–or any other fruit, before ya ask.”

That caught everyone’s attention pretty quickly, and the bassist grinned as he grabbed a shopping bag.

“We’re going bobbing for these,” Bobby said, still grinning as he pulled out several packages of nipples for baby bottles.

“Oh, my God!” the frontman cackled. “You’ve gotta be kidding me!”

Shaking his head, he ripped open each one and dumped its contents into the tubs of Water he’d set up while he was waiting during the _Twenty Questions_ game. All the kids seemed the most excited to give it a whirl, the guys all cracking up at the Thought of getting to bite nipples without getting smacked for it. Even Aerin was giggling hysterically from the chair she’d plunked herself down in on the patio, which was exactly the reaction he’d been going for.

After each of them’d tied their hair up into a ponytail, the guys and kids who wanted to knelt down by the tubs of Water. Just to be sure nobody cheated, Bobby got his wife to take the Cotton rope he’d brought out and put her skills to use by tying their hands behind their backs. Each of the guys aside from Ash looked a bit disturbed, but he knew she was competent at such a thing from experience.

With their hands tied securely behind their backs, but not so tightly that it’d hurt any of them, the bassist told her to set a timer for two minutes. Aerin pulled out her phone as she reclaimed her seat, TC having moved her chair out a bit closer to the action for her. Once she’d gotten it set, she made sure everybody was ready before hitting the _Start_ button, effectively turning them loose. The whole point in the game was to get as many nipples as they could using just their teeth by the Time the timer went off, and whoever’d the most when it did was declared the winner.

“Now I see why ya set this one up outside, Bobby,” Shannon laughed after Time was called.

“Yeah, I knew it’d make a humongous mess, if I did it inside,” he chuckled, already working at his bindings as he straightened from where he’d hunched over his bobbing tub.

“How the hell’re we supposed to get outta these things?” Bret asked, trying to get outta his and failing.

“Like this, or by waiting,” the bassist laughed, turning so the group could watch him.

Every pair of eyes that belonged to somebody who’d been restrained turned to him, watching Intently as he worked the lone knot with his fingers till he got it loose.

“How the hell’d ya do that, dude?” Rikki asked, his eyes wide as he watched.

“Too much practice for my own good!” Bobby crowed, now managing to pull on the rope enough to loosen the actual cuffs and free his hands.

“Same here, man,” the younger bassist laughed, freeing himself only seconds later. “Then again, I _did_ make Aerin hog-tie me, throw me in a closet, and Time me to see how long it took me to get free before I called _Red_ one Time.”

“I don’t think we even wanna know,” the guitarist laughed as the pair of bassists moved to start helping those who just couldn’t manage such a feat.

“Prolly best thatcha don’t–especially in front of lil ears,” Ash chuckled.

Once everybody’d been set free, they pulled off their shirts to wring them out so they were only damp, if they hadn’t heeded Bobby’s warning to bring a change of clothes. He decided on dumping the tubs and cleaning up later so they could continue having fun, not to mention move on to the cake and present-opening. The guys offered to help him, and he told them he’d take them up on it once he was ready to start the cleanup effort.

Back in the house, he headed to the fridge to grab the cake he’d made early that Morn, now that most everyone’d enough room for at least a small piece. His choice decorations were a combination of musical and Celestial, such as the Constellation of Lyra being worked into his artwork. Aerin wasn’t the only one who’d the feeling the twins were gonna be into at least Astrology as they aged, and he’d wanted the design to Reflect their mutual Love of Music. Judging by how his wife teared up when she saw it, he’d say he’d done a pretty good job for being half-asleep when he’d started. The fact that she seemed to love it and his use of one of her favorite fonts to write _Congratulations_ was praise enough.

Just like they’d done at their handfasting not so long ago, they both grabbed the knife he took outta the knife block, his hand covering hers. The bassist let her Guide so the pieces wouldn’t wind up being too big for anyone while he provided the Force to actually cut it. Once there were enough pieces for everyone and they’d all been passed out, the whole group settled at the dining room table again. If there was one rule in this house, it was not to make a mess anywhere but the rooms where it made sense, most notably the kitchen and bathrooms.

“All right, Time for those presents,” CC said once they’d killed off their cake.

“Lemme get the leftover cake back in the fridge before it spoils, man!” he laughed as the women aside from his wife started cleaning up.

“We can at least go get the big stuff outta that SUV Rikki rented, damn it!” the guitarist laughed.

“I thoughtcha already did that,” Bobby said as he closed the fridge.

“Nah, we decided to hold off since we were all hungry,” Rikki told him.

“Then hop to it, boys!” the young mama-to-be giggled. “I can’t wait to see what all we’re gonna wind up having to put together now!”

“I think ya mean what all _I’ma_ have to put together!” the bassist laughed.

Everyone cracked up as the blondes and Ash headed out front, Zach following behind for as much extra muscle as possible.

“All right, let’s see here,” Bobby said once they’d brought everything in and everyone was settled in the living room. “This giant monstrosity’s apparently from Bret, Kristi, Raine, and Jorja.”

“Oh, boy,” his wife giggled. “Looks like it’ll be furniture.”

Ripping off the baby-themed wrapping paper revealed the very crib they’d decided on, but hadn’t quite gotten around to buying just yet.

“Damn, guys!” he laughed. “The exact crib we wanted!”

“We thoughtcha hadn’t gotten one yet,” CC chuckled.

“’Cuz we were waiting for its whole set to be stocked so we could get it all at once,” Aerin giggled. “We’ve been checking back with the local _BuyBuyBaby,_ but it hadn’t all come in at once yet.”

“Well, keep going–I think you’ll like whatcha find,” the frontman said.

Ripping off the wrapping paper on the next item–which was supposed to be from Rikki, TC, Jude, and Lucy–revealed the six-drawer double dresser that went with the crib. After that, they found that CC, Shannon, and Vallon’d gotten them the matching six-drawer _tall_ dresser, and Ash’d gotten them both the three-drawer changing table and four-drawer dresser. The last item in the set was a matching bookcase, which they got courtesy of Aidan, who’d also gotten them the conversion kit for the crib since it could be turned into a toddler and even full-size bed later on.

From there, most of what Bobby and Aerin opened were things like diapers, wipes, clothes, and other practical things they’d bought a lil of, but not a whole lot. One of the practical items Kristi’d bought without Bret realizing it was actually a breast pump, and it was a good thing she had, too. The young mama-to-be wanted to be able to nurse, but knew she might have to pump her milk after delivery.

By the Time they’d finished opening everything, everybody was starting to get worn out since it was now mid-afternoon. The expectant parents were definitely surprised when the guys grouped up and said they’d something special for the bassist, the girls doing the same with something special for his wife. Shooting them wary looks, the pair took the gift bags they were handed and started pulling out the tissue paper stuffed in them.

As they looked into the bags, they couldn’t help the smiles on their faces as they pulled out what they’d been given. Aerin’d half a dozen of her favorite body mists from Victoria’s Secret– _Crimson Berries, Pure Seduction, Amber Romance, Temptation, Enchanted Lily,_ and _Midnight Petals_. In Bobby’s, there were half a dozen of his favorite colognes, which the guys’d made note of over the forty-plus Years they’d known him. Not only that, but Bret’d even thrown one of his signatures– _Roses and Thorns_ for the bassist, _Beautiful Soul_ for his wife–in since they’d been interested in them. Over all, it was a heartfelt way to End what’d certainly been one of the craziest Days for everybody that’d been involved.


	13. Thirteen

Only a couple weeks after the baby shower, there was a Night that Aerin was simply too uncomfortable to sleep. She was now eight months pregnant, and she’d been warned by Dr. Kenda that the twins could come up to a month earlier than they thought. After all, Space in the womb was at a premium with more than one baby, and both it and what the mother’s body could handle reached the End of its rope sooner in most cases.

Since she didn’t wanna keep Bobby up–he’d a migraine half the Eve and was trying to sleep it off–she decided to head down to the living room after a couple hours of tossing and turning. Her only saving Grace in not keeping him up during that Time was that they’d a Tempur Pedic bed due to their combined skeletal problems. That thing already didn’t transfer much, if any movement, but with it being topped by memory foam on top of it, there was almost no chance of keeping each other awake when they’d a restless Night.

Down in the living room, the young woman turned the TV on for background noise while she was fooling around on her laptop. Whether she was listening to an actual TV show or an infomercial didn’t really matter to her–she was more concerned with not waking anyone else up. If she was forced to ’cuz her water broke or something, that’d be different, but for right now, she didn’t need to.

_“Oooh,_ Goddess,” Aerin moaned, clutching her belly as the pain she’d been feeling in her back for weeks suddenly started wrapping around to her front.

It wasn’t something that just happened all at once outta nowhere–this was gradual over the course of a minute or so. The increase in the pressure she felt in her middle and pelvis told her exactly what it was, and she glanced down at the clock in the bottom-right corner of her laptop screen. One in the Morn was way too early to wake anyone else up unless her water broke in the next few minutes, especially when this could very well be just a false alarm.

As the pain gripping her Began to ebb, the young woman decided to see if she’d anymore contractions–not to mention time them, if she did–before trying to wake anyone else up. If Bobby or either of the kids happened to come down before she got that chance, she was cool with that, too, as long as she didn’t wake them up with a scream.

_“Mmm,”_ she hummed, rubbing her belly as another one hit about half an hour later.

“Aerin?”

Managing to glance up, she saw Zach in the living room doorway, but couldn’t answer him since she was pretty sure she’d scream.

“Aerin, what’s wrong?” the young man asked, immediately coming over to kneel in the floor next to where she was sitting on the couch.

Still unable to say anything, Aerin simply grabbed his hand in a Death grip like she’d rather be doing to his father right now.

“Dear God–you’re going into labor, aren’tcha?” he asked, his eyes widening.

_“May…be…”_ the young woman managed to grind out between her teeth.

“How long’s this been going on?” Zach asked, using his free hand to help with her efforts at rubbing her belly–which was rock-hard, thanks to the contraction.

“Not…long,” she managed, starting to relax as it slowly Began to ebb again.

“So, not long enough to’ve bothered waking Dad up?” the young man asked, looking worried.

“That’s only the second one,” Aerin managed to chuckle, panting a couple Times before managing a deeper breath. “First one was about half an hour ago.”

“Do I need to go get Dad up?” he asked.

“Nah, let him sleep for right now,” the young woman answered, shaking her head. “He’d that migraine after all, and once he gets up for this, there won’t be any going back to sleep.”

“All right, if you’re sure,” Zach acquiesced, clearly not liking that idea.

“Hey, I know we were told these two might come up to a month early, but without something like my water breaking to tell us for sure, it might just be a false alarm,” she told him. “If it’s a false alarm, I’d rather not wake Bobby up when I know he wasn’t feeling good earlier.”

“But if these pains keep hitting, or your water _does_ break, ya want me to go get him up?” the young man asked.

“More like if the contractions keep getting closer together, or my water breaks,” Aerin laughed softly. “At half an hour apart, they might not settle into a rhythm that’s gonna do much of anything, and Dr. Kenda’d just call us worry-warts, if we called her right now.”

“Howddaya know that?” he asked curiously.

The young woman let out another soft laugh as she said that she’d looked up pretty much every part of pregnancy she _hadn’t_ experienced before when she was writing some of her fan-fictions. In the answers she found, most OB/GYNs told their patients to wait till their contractions were eight-to-fifteen minutes apart, depending on the patient and how their pregnancy’d gone, before heading to a hospital. Only something like their water breaking’d make an OB/GYN tell them to come in sooner, ’cuz that could allow an infection to set in, and they’d need close monitoring.

Even though he seemed dubious, Zach still nodded and agreed to just wait it out for now since she seemed to know what she was talking about well enough. The fact that she was so Calm for being in so much pain every Time a contraction hit helped with keeping him Calm, too. He still refused to leave her side, just so she’d somebody to help her with anything, in case she needed something.

Over the course of the next hour, her contractions slowly made their way to twenty minutes apart, and they seemed to be getting stronger. The young man was glad he’d brought his phone downstairs when he’d come down for a glass of Water, ’cuz he was Intent on calling outta work. His young stepmother tried to stop him, but he said there was no way he could go in on just two hours of sleep, even if he’d wanted to.

Seeing no way to argue the point and knowing he was a lot like his dad, Aerin simply sighed and nodded as her latest contraction ebbed. It wouldn’t be long before they were forced to wake her husband, if he hadn’t already woken up on his own and realized he was in bed alone. He’d have to be woken up to take over Comforting her through her contractions, not to mention call her OB/GYN once said contractions were close enough to warrant such a call. But if he woke on his own before she’d to send the young man up to wake him, at least being Calm’d help keep him from freakin’ out too much, even though she knew he was bound to suffer some _prenatal panic_.

Another two hours passed, and the clock was striking five in the Morn when Aerin and Zach heard footsteps at the top of the stairs. Unsure if it was Bobby or Zoe coming down, the young woman bit back a pained cry as another contraction started, this one only ten minutes after the last. She didn’t wanna startle whichever one it was and make them fall down the stairs by letting out a sudden scream that made them nearly jump outta their skin.

Walking into the living room on his way to the kitchen, Bobby wondered where his wife was as he yawned and slid his glasses on. She hadn’t been acting quite right before they went to bed, but his head had been throbbing too much to really keep an eye on her. The fact that he’d woken up alone for the first Time since he was recovering from surgery was more than a lil disturbing, too.

“Hey, Dad.”

Blinking sleepily, he reached up under his glasses to rub his eyes, which widened as he finally got them focused enough to make out his wife and son. “Zach, what the hell’s going on?”

“Apparently, she started going into labor,” Zach answered, one hand massaging her belly while the other was trapped in a Death grip that was turning it blue.

“Why the hell didn’tcha wake me up?” the bassist demanded, half-pissed as he darted over to the couch and knelt down.

“I…told him…not to,” Aerin ground out, her words sounding like a growl as the contraction reached its peak.

“Sweetheart, ya know I wouldn’t have cared,” he told her, gently prying his son’s hand outta her grip so he could grab her hand instead.

“Dad, it was around one this Morn when I came down and found her,” his son said. “She was in the middle of her second contraction and said she didn’t wanna wake ya ’cuz of that migraine, if it turned out to be a false alarm.”

“Well, it’s right at five now,” Bobby retorted, shooting him a look.

“And I was gonna come wake ya up as soon as this one Ended, if ya didn’t come down,” he told him. “She wanted to wait till they were ten minutes apart before we woke ya up, if ya didn’t get up on your own, and she just hit that point.”

The bassist looked down at his wife, who nodded as she panted.

“Go in the kitchen and get the list of emergency numbers, then,” he sighed. “She wants a home Birth, if at all possible, so Dr. Kenda’s gonna have to make a short house call.”

Nodding, Zach jumped up and hauled ass into the aforementioned room, clearly running on adrenaline and wanting to be helpful. While waiting for his older son to Return, he gave Aerin a gentle _good-Morn_ kiss while she was between contractions and unlikely to try biting his lip off. He wasn’t surprised by the soft moan she let out, easily able to feel the Love radiating off her as she projected.

It was only a few moments before the young man Returned with the list of phone numbers that’d been stuck to the fridge with a magnet and his phone in hand. Judging by what he heard, Bobby knew he’d figured out which one was to Dr. Kenda and called it on his way back through the house. Luckily, the woman answered her cell phone, although she’d obviously been asleep when it started ringing, if her tone was anything to judge by. The bassist knew she was used to such things happening, though, considering how long she’d been in this business.

“Morn, Dr. Kenda,” he said as his son held his phone out to him.

_“Morn, Bobby,”_ the OB/GYN yawned. _“Everything okay? It’s a bit early to be calling pretty much anyone unless I’m reading my clock wrong.”_

“Apparently, Aerin’s been in labor since around one this Morn,” Bobby answered.

_“Whaddaya mean, apparently?”_ she asked, suddenly sounding more alert.

“This is his son, Zach,” the young man spoke up. “I found her on the couch in the middle of her second contraction, and she begged me not to wake him up till they got to ten minutes apart. Dad had a migraine last Night, and she knew getting some rest’d help with getting rid of it.”

_“Ahhhh,”_ Dr. Kenda breathed. _“I’m guessing he just woke up, then?”_

“Yeah, a few minutes ago,” the bassist answered. “Imagine my surprise to walk into my living room and find my wife killing my son’s hand, obviously trying to bite back a scream.”

“Oh, fuck me,” said wife whimpered, groaning as another one started.

_“Lemme get some clothes on and gather some supplies while I’m making a couple calls,”_ she told him. _“If we’re able to do a home Birth, I’d rather come prepared.”_

“All right, Dr. Kenda,” Bobby agreed. “Just keep her as comfy as possible in the meantime, right?”

_“Ya got it, Bobby,”_ the OB/GYN answered. _“Worst thing ya can do now’s freak out since that’ll just stress_ her _out.”_

“All right. I’ll textcha, if her water breaks before ya get here,” he said.

_“Sounds like a plan to me,”_ Dr. Kenda agreed before Ending the call.

Handing his phone back to him, the bassist told Zach to go get him some Ice, and to make sure it was crushed. It was doubtful that Aerin’d be able to actually drink anything without choking on it right now, but she could at least eat Ice chips between contractions. After all, she needed to stay as hydrated as possible throughout her labor, and no doubt her mouth and throat were dry.

The young man nodded as he pocketed his phone and headed into the kitchen to do as asked, which he hadn’t thought of. He’d been trying to get her to take small sips of Water, but he hadn’t had much Success with that endeavor over the last few hours. Now that he thought about it, though, maybe that’d been her way of trying to avoid choking and he just hadn’t realized it before. He wasn’t sure as he filled a glass with the requested crushed Ice, then headed back to the living room with it so he could hand it off to his dad.

Aerin was just settling down from that latest contraction when the young man Returned, a pained whimper drifting up from her throat. Her lips were already a bit chapped, and her husband pulled a tube of her chapstick outta his pocket to rub across them for her. She seemed thankful as she rubbed her lips together and gave them a slight smack, knowing they needed some moisture before they started cracking and bleeding.

“I’ll get it, Dad,” Zach said when the doorbell rang.

“You’re gonna have to, son,” he chuckled, feeling his wife’s grip tighten again as another contraction started. “My hand’s prisoner again, so I can’t move.”

The young man laughed as he opened the door to find four women on the front stoop.

“Hey, there–Zach, right?” one of them asked.

“Yep, that’s me,” he answered, nodding.

“I’m Dr. Kenda, and these’re a few girls I work with at my practice,” the woman told him as she held out a hand. “Kelly’s a midwife, while Jasmine and Holly’re a couple of my nurses.”

“Nice to meetcha,” Zach said, shaking all their hands as he let them in. “They’re in the living room unless Dad had to help her to the bathroom.”

“Then let’s get in there,” the OB/GYN told him. “Best to get this exam done quickly so we can decide if she absolutely _hasta_ go to Saint Thomas West or not.”

Nodding, the young man led the quartet of women into the living room after closing the front door, not surprised to see his dad still Comforting Aerin as much as he could. She’d a couple tears rolling down her cheeks at this point, but judging by the description she’d given him about an hour ago, he wasn’t surprised by that.

Bobby gently kissed his wife’s forehead as that contraction Ended, her grip on his hand loosening as her entire body went limp. There was a thin sheen of sweat coating her forehead, and he didn’t doubt that that was true for the rest of her body, too. One’s core temperature always went up when they were in pain since it was a physiological response they’d no Control over. His certainly had when he’d been rushed to the ER last Year, ’cuz he vaguely remembered one of the nurses saying he seemed to have a fever of one-oh-two by the Time they got him into the trauma bay.

Hearing voices made him look up to see Dr. Kenda and the other trio of women with her, and he shot her a slight smile. Even Aerin managed a small, but pained smile as she caught sight of the women, part of her hoping she got her way with this. She’d hated medical facilities of just about any kind for as long as she could remember, and she really didn’t wanna have to give Birth in a hospital, if it wasn’t absolutely necessary.

A quick ultrasound with a portable scanner she’d brought with her told them that both babies were doing well. Their umbilical cords weren’t twisted and tangled up since they didn’t share the interior layer of their amniotic sac alongside the exterior layer. Provided neither of them went into distress once her water broke, being able to have a home Birth was looking promising. Both parents couldn’t help a heavy sigh of relief when they were told that, the young woman ’cuz of her hatred of hospitals and her husband ’cuz he was just glad they were all okay. Hopefully, this process wouldn’t last too long, even though it was her first pregnancy and delivery, ’cuz he knew she was in for some hell.


	14. Fourteen

Five more hours passed, and Bobby was really starting to kick himself as he did what he could for his wife. Seeing her in this amount of agony–even when she was guzzling an herbal tea she’d given Zoe written instructions on how to make–was slowly killing him. Her labor stalling out a couple hours ago just as the Sun came up good and was more than a soft glow over the horizon wasn’t helping how either of them, especially her, felt.

Dr. Kenda and her colleagues were currently discussing how they could possibly jumpstart her labor again in the kitchen. Trying to get her to relax and walking around the house and back yard wasn’t really working, and neither was a bit of light aerobics in the pool. Pitocin wasn’t an option without going to the hospital and being admitted, which Aerin still vehemently refused to do.

As the quartet of women came back into the living room, the young mama-to-be gave them all–especially her husband–more than a bit of a surprise. Once she was between contractions and wouldn’t hurt him, she reached over to where he was sitting beside her and grabbed him by the crotch. She didn’t seem to care that Zach and Zoe were also present as he gasped and jumped, then let out a soft moan as she started to knead him like a Cat. Bobby managed to look down at her, trying to fight popping a boner since he didn’t know what the fuck she was up to.

“Da fuq’re ya doing, sweetheart?” he asked, grinding his teeth as he put up that fight since his older kids were in the room.

“There’s…something…we haven’t…tried,” Aerin growled.

“Seriously?” the bassist asked, surprised as she squeezed him again.

_“Mmm hmm,”_ she hummed, nodding against his chest.

“Actually, that might be the best idea yet,” Dr. Kenda spoke up.

“Then explain it to me, ’cuz I’m not getting it,” Bobby chuckled, even as he squirmed slightly.

“Bringing her to orgasm, provided her pain allows it, can certainly help jumpstart her labor,” she explained. “Those mild contractions can and usually will help start labor, if it hasn’t already, or get the contractions to pick up again, if it has.”

“And the testosterone of the father’s can add to that effect,” Kelly agreed with a nod.

“So, win-win all around,” the bassist chuckled. “We get this over with, if it actually jumpstarts her labor, and I get one last round before I’m stuck fuckin’ a meat grinder for six weeks.”

Nobody in the room could help a laugh at that, even his wife.

“Yeah, that’s pretty much the basic gist of it,” the OB/GYN laughed.

“Then Zach and Zoe need to clear out,” Bobby said with a grin. “I’m not even gonna try to get her upstairs right now, but I wanna put this theory to the test.”

The siblings both cracked up, but still hauled ass for the back yard since taking a dip in the pool sounded a lot better than watching and/or listening to their dad have sex.

“We’re gonna clear out, too,” Jasmine giggled. “We’ll be in the kitchen, though, so just yell for us when you’re ready for us to come back in.”

Flashing a thumbs-up, the bassist let Aerin’s gentle squeezing start getting to him, and he couldn’t help a soft growl. If putting her through another romp actually worked and it jumpstarted her labor, he’d do just that before he ran upstairs to grab something. He didn’t normally like doing so anymore, but he’d pop a Viagra so he could keep going for hours, if he needed to and it meant these babies arrived healthy sooner rather than later.

* * *

By the Time the clock struck Noon, Bobby’d managed to put his young wife through two romps, and they seemed to’ve done the trick. He told the OB/GYN as soon as she and her colleagues Returned from the kitchen that, unless he was mistaken, he’d started feeling one of the babies’ heads against his tip right there at the End of that second round. That was certainly a possibility, considering that her water’d already broken and one of them’d dropped decently low by the Time her labor stalled out around ten that Morn.

Giving her a quick check revealed that the young woman was actually ready to start pushing, those romps having brought her up to ten centimeters. She couldn’t help a soft cheer, ’cuz that certainly explained the unbearable pressure in her pelvis that was hard to fight. And even though it mighta been quicker than expected for a first-Timer, she was ready after almost twelve hours of hard labor.

The quartet of women started getting set up, Dr. Kenda moving into position to watch for the first baby while the nurses were helping the midwife. Even Zach and Zoe did what they could to help, now that they’d come back in from the pool, while their dad knelt by his young wife’s side. His excitement to meet their babies at last temporarily trumped his other feelings, but his main one was Sorrow and Guilt for having done this to her–even by accident.

Once the quartet were set up for delivery, Aerin started to push in earnest, her teeth gritted and beared as the bassist helped her curl up for each push. She looked kinda like a Wild Animal as she bore down, already feeling the first baby moving as its head got closer to emerging. They didn’t know if it was the boy or the girl that was gonna be born first, but they didn’t particularly care, as long as nothing went awry. Just like when it came to even knowing their genders in the first place, they cared more about the Health of both mom and babies more than anything else. As long as they were healthy, they’d be happy with whichever way it went, ’cuz that was what mattered most to them.

“All right, stop pushing for a minute,” Dr. Kenda said once the head emerged. “I need to check for the cord.”

“Ugh, I definitely wasn’t looking forward to _this_ part,” the young woman groaned.

“No mother I’ve ever worked with has,” she laughed, her fingers already at work. “So I’m not surprised even you weren’t.”

“It feels like my crotch’s on Fire!” Aerin said, letting her head thump back against her husband’s arm.

“Makes me even more glad this isn’t _my_ role,” he chuckled.

“Oh, shut up before I make sure ya can’t even have sex anymore!” she told him, her grin belying any true malice.

“Shutting up, ’cuz I like my junk right where it is,” Bobby laughed.

“Gimme another push, Aerin,” the OB/GYN chuckled when she failed to find the cord wrapped around the baby’s neck.

Taking yet another deep breath, she let her husband help her curl up around her belly as she bore down again. It took only a couple pushes to make her let out a cry, Zach and Zoe jumping as it startled both of them since they weren’t expecting it. Laughing, Dr. Kenda said that she’d gotten the first shoulder out, and most delivering mothers–even the ones with epidurals–let out a cry at that point.

After another couple pushes, the baby’d been delivered to its waist, and she was able to simply pull it out once it reached that point. She cradled the newborn against her breast, Holly handing her an aspirator to clear its airways with so it could take its first breath. Bobby couldn’t help tearing up a bit as he looked down, the baby’s flailing revealing that his younger son was born first. Said baby boy soon let out a gurgle, which turned into a shrill shriek as he started to cry, the Sound bringing tears to his exhausted mother’s eyes.

Once the cord had been clamped, the OB/GYN let Daddy cut it before she handed him off to one of her nurses to be cleaned up and assessed. He continued letting out his shrill cries the whole Time, his curious older siblings giving the woman enough room to work while getting a good look at their baby brother. Their father remained at his wife’s side as they waited for her to dilate that last centimeter or two again, all of them knowing their daughter was to be born next.

“All right, you’re good to go,” Dr. Kenda told her a few minutes later.

“Thank the Goddess,” she whimpered, grabbing the backs of her thighs again.

Her husband helped her curl up as she pushed, knowing she was exhausted as he counted to ten like he’d been doing before.

“You’re doing so good, sweetheart,” the bassist murmured, gently kissing her temple.

“Not…doing this…again,” Aerin grumbled before taking another deep breath.

“I’ll go get snipped before this happens again, if I’ve gotta,” he swore. “Ya know I wasn’t planning on having even these two, and I don’t wanna putcha through this again.”

“We’ll talk…about that…later,” the young woman panted once she was stopped to check for this baby’s cord. “’Cuz right now, I’m too tempted to hold ya to that.”

Bobby couldn’t help a chuckle, even though he was meant it to the depth of his Soul when he made her that promise. He was too old to be adding to the family any more than this, considering he was gonna be turning fifty-nine that Autumn. As it stood, he’d be lucky to see these two even graduate high school before he died, let alone graduate college or get married. He’d certainly be lucky to live long enough to see them give him at least a single grandbaby apiece since they were so much younger than their siblings.

It didn’t take much longer for the second twin to be born, and he couldn’t help tearing up all over again as he saw it was definitely a baby girl. The OB/GYN cradled her to her breast as she took the fresh aspirator she was handed and started clearing out her airways. Her cord was left intact like her brother’s had been till she gurgled and let out her first shriek to make sure she got enough oxygen.

After her cord had been clamped and cut, she was handed off to the other waiting nurse to be cleaned up and assessed. Kelly and Dr. Kenda focused their attention on Aerin, who still needed to deliver the placentas before she was truly done. By this point, she was beyond exhausted and ready to sleep for a week, only wanting to hold her babies for the first Time really keeping her awake. Once she got to hold and nurse them, though, she’d be out like a Light for hours to come as she got some rest.

“And here’s your lil Prince,” Holly said, finally bringing over a blue bundle once she’d delivered those placentas and been cleaned up.

“My lil Zeppelin,” the young woman said, sounding hoarse from all the screaming she’d done.

“Our lil rock star,” Bobby murmured, gently caressing the boy’s head as she settled him next to her bare breast.

“Here’s your lil Princess, too,” Jasmine said as she knelt down, a pink bundle in her arms.

“My lil Zeta,” Aerin murmured, letting her settle the baby girl in her other arm.

“She’ll be our lil movie star, no doubt,” the bassist chuckled, gently caressing her head, as well.

“So, what’re their full names supposed to be?” Dr. Kenda asked.

Looking up, he saw her holding a pen and pair of Birth certificates. “The boy’s name’s gonna be Zeppelin Bentley Kuykendall,” he told her once she was ready to write.

“How’s that surname supposed to be spelled?” the OB/GYN asked, wanting to make sure it got written down correctly.

Bobby gladly spelled out his surname, watching as she wrote it down.

“And what’s the baby girl’s name gonna be?” she asked once she was ready to move on to the second Birth certificate.

“Zeta Bailey Kuykendall,” the bassist answered, not surprised he’d to spell out her first name.

Once their names’d been written down, all that was left was for both parents to sign them since their footprints’d been taken while they were being cleaned up and assessed. He was all too happy to sign his name with a flourish, all of them knowing they’d get Aerin’s signature after she’d gotten some rest. She prolly couldn’t see straight enough to write at the moment, but as long as it got signed before it was filed, that was what mattered.

Even though they were born a month earlier than their projected due date, making them Geminis according to the twelve-sign Zodiac, Zeppelin and Zeta were deemed to be perfectly healthy. All of the obstetric professionals said they’d be monitoring them to make sure they didn’t turn out to have a few breathing problems, but it was doubtful, as strong as their cries were.

After nursing her babies for the first Time, the new mama let Bobby take their new daughter so he could burp her. She knew she wouldn’t have been able to burp both at once, even if she hadn’t been exhausted, and he looked so keen to hold them, anywhore. In fact, his eyes absolutely lit up as he took the baby girl, gently holding her against his shoulder as he rubbed her back. No one could deny that he’d already fallen in Love with his younger daughter, and that he’d do anything necessary to protect her. Even if she wound up being a _Daddy’s girl_ like her big sister still was, that was okay since she’d gotten a perfect Bill of Health.

Zach and Zoe jumped in to help by diapering their siblings once they’d been fed and burped, both seeming Awed as they took them. The new parents couldn’t help tender smiles as they watched, the bassist laughing and having to make a few corrections to his older kids’ attempts. All in all, none of them coulda asked for a better End to the Day than a healthy mama and healthy babies once they were sure Aerin was in labor around Dawn.


	15. Epilogue

_Nashville, Tennessee_

_June, 2028_

It’d been six long Years since Zeppelin and Zeta were born, and while Time’d seemed to crawl by at Times, it seemed like it’d been flying, too. Today was the twins’ sixth birthday, and nobody coulda been happier than their parents were as they got up early to decorate the house they still lived in a few miles from Ash. Even the twins’ older siblings, Zach and Zoe, had taken the Day off work so they could be there to celebrate with everyone else.

Bobby was now fast approaching his own sixty-fifth birthday, but he didn’t let that slow him down or stop him from doing what he loved. What he loved now was a bit different than it’d been seven or eight Years ago, ’cuz back then, he’d still been touring the World with his band. Now, he was content to stay home and spend his precious Time with his family, and he enjoyed getting to be there for the lil things. It was those lil things that he hadn’t gotten to experience when his older kids–who were now parents in their own rights–were lil that he treasured the most.

Hearing a familiar set of giggles as his wife–whom he’d finally talked into legally marrying him a Year after the twins were born–brought Zeppelin and Zeta downstairs brought a smile to his face. There was nothing sweeter than hearing those two giggle, even if there was a mischievous note to the Sound that bespoke trouble on the horizon.

“Daddy!” they cried, running over to him once Aerin’d brought them into the kitchen.

“Good Morn, chu lil punks!” he laughed as he knelt down to hug them. “Happy birthday, my lil munchkins!”

“Tank chu, Daddy!” Zeppelin laughed as they group-hugged.

“We’s finally six today!” Zeta squealed happily.

“Chu sure ish!” the bassist chuckled. “Daddy needsta find chu _Off_ buttons–chu’s not allowed to grow up on meh!”

“I don’t think that’s possible, love,” his wife laughed. “I’ve tried to find ’em, and I still haven’t had any Luck.”

“Oh, _nuuuu,”_ Bobby said, his grin turning a bit devious. “Daddy gosta look again and make sure Mama didn’t just miss it!”

The twins squealed as he started poking and tickling their sides as if trying to find those elusive buttons he knew didn’t really exist.

“Daddy, stop!” his younger son squealed through his laughter.

“Gosta pee!” the boy’s twin cried.

“All right, all right,” he laughed, finally letting up from his torment.

Aerin couldn’t help laughing as they both scurried off to the closest bathrooms, her hand extended to help her husband up off his knees. She knew he was getting older, no matter how he acted and what he said to the contrary, and that he needed more help with doing stupid-simple shit like that now. Then again, he was forever helping her since she’d joints just as bad as his, even though she was only pushing thirty-six.

Bobby gladly accepted the help, his knees–particularly the left one, which was due for a replacement soon–screaming at him. Even if he needed a few bionic parts to get him through till the very bitter End from all the ways he’d abused himself over the decades, he still had a lotta Life left in him, and he was hell-bent on proving it.

“Sometimes, it more than amazes me to see y’all together like that,” the young woman said once he was on his feet.

“What can I say?” he chuckled. “I might be an old man, but I’m not letting that stop me.”

“I don’t think I coulda picked a better man to wind up having kids with, if I’m honest,” Aerin admitted as he gently cupped her cheek.

“If there was one thing I’d go back and Change, if I could, it’d be when one of us was born so we’d get this chance together a lot sooner,” the bassist told her.

“Ya know that’d fuck up the Universe’s Timeline, though,” she gently admonished him.

“I’d totally fuck up the Timeline, if it meant I got even more Time with my family,” Bobby swore. “’Cuz whether ya were born a few Years after me and we met in the eighties, or I was born a few Years before you and we met after the turn of the Century, we’d get more Time together.”

“And ya prolly wouldn’t have Zach and Zoe, if things’d gone like that,” the young woman said.

“Or maybe I’d still have all four of my babies, ’cuz I’d have metcha before ya coulda decided not to have any in the first place,” he shot back playfully.

Aerin couldn’t deny that he’d a point, merely laughing as he leaned down to kiss her like he did every chance he got. Granted, he didn’t have to lean down quite as much anymore, ’cuz along with old age came the loss of a bit of height. While he’d been six-foot-even in his Youth, he’d already been down to five-ten by the Time they met, and he’d lost another inch or two since then. But she’d known that was gonna happen as Time passed when they’d first started dating, so the obvious physical signs of his age didn’t bother her like it did for a lotta folks.

The bassist was forced to break the kiss with a chuckle when he heard his older kids come in, the twins babbling excitedly. Their lil niece and nephew–Zach’s daughter, Adelita, and Zoe’s son, Jacy–were just as excited as they were and giggling up Storms of their own. Zach walking in with his baby brother and nephew held upside-down against his chest proved to be the source of all the laughter, and the remaining adults couldn’t help cracking up. Even Zoe hugging her baby sister and niece against her sides as they walked together didn’t stop the younger woman from laughing along with them, the girls telling the boys how silly they were.

Bobby couldn’t help a satisfied smile as they settled at the breakfast bar and eat-in dining spot, knowing the rest of his former band, Ash, and Aidan were on their way. Things mighta turned out a lot differently than he’d thought they would back when they’d announced that stadium tour for 2020, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. He’d met the true Love of his Life, and even in those Times of adversity mentioned in their handfasting and wedding vows, he couldn’t get better than this. Life was beyond great, and he couldn’t see what happened in the next chapter that unfolded for him starting today.


End file.
